US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska next Friday to discuss the future of the Ukrainian war. Trump announced the meeting on social media on August 15, which was later confirmed by a Kremlin spokeswoman, who stated that the site was “quite logical” considering Alaska’s proximity to Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that any solutions must include Ukraine, and that he is willing to collaborate with all parties to achieve “lasting peace”. The meeting announcement came only hours after Trump said that Ukraine may have to give territory to resolve the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
“You’re looking at terrain that has been battled over for three and a half years; many Russians have perished. “A lot of Ukrainians have died,” Trump stated at the White House on Friday. “It’s quite complicated. We’ll get some back, and some will be exchanged. There will be some territory sharing, which will benefit both parties. The US president did not elaborate on how that idea might appear. However, CBS News, citing people involved with the conversations, reports that the White House is attempting to persuade European leaders to accept an accord in which Russia would take over the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine while preserving Crimea.
According to CBS, as part of the planned accord, it would give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia districts, which it currently partially occupies. Earlier on Friday, the Wall Street Journal claimed that Putin suggested a similar arrangement to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff during a recent meeting in Moscow. Given Zelensky and Putin’s divergent views on the terms of peace, it is questionable whether Ukraine and its European allies would accept to such a pact. Zelensky has previously opposed any terms on territorial concessions. In a Telegram statement made on Saturday, the Ukrainian president reiterated: “The answer to the Ukrainian territorial issue is already in the Ukrainian Constitution.” No one will or can deviate from this. Ukrainians will not give up their territory to the occupiers.”
“Any solutions that are against us, any solutions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time solutions against peace,” he said, adding that his country is prepared for “real solutions” that bring peace. “We are ready, together with President Trump, together with all partners, to work for a real, and most importantly, lasting peace – a peace that will not collapse because of Moscow’s wishes.” One senior White House official told CBS that plans for next Friday’s meeting were still in the works, and Zelensky could still be engaged in some capacity. Moscow has failed to make a major breakthrough in its full-scale invasion, but it already controls around 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Meanwhile, Ukrainian offensives have failed to push back Russian forces.
Three rounds of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed to bring the war to a conclusion, and Kyiv and its supporters regard Moscow’s military and political preconditions for peace as Ukraine’s de facto capitulation. Russian demands include Ukraine becoming a neutral state, significantly decreasing its military and relinquishing NATO ambitions, as well as the lifting of Western sanctions imposed on Russia. Moscow also wants Kyiv to withdraw its military from the four regions that Russia partially controls in south-east Ukraine, as well as demobilise its soldiers. On Friday, Trump asserted that the US had “a shot at” a trilateral peace agreement between the countries.
“European leaders want to see peace, President Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and Zelensky wants to see peace,” said the politician to reporters. “President Zelensky has to get all of his, everything he needs, because he’s going to have to get ready to sign something and I think he’s working hard to get that done,” Trump told reporters. Last month, Trump revealed that he thought an agreement to end the war in Ukraine was in the works with Russia four times: “I’m disappointed in him [Putin], but I’m not done with him.” In recent weeks, he has stiffened his stance against the Kremlin, imposing a deadline of Friday, August 8, for Russia to adhere to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face additional sanctions.
But as the deadline approached the economic threat was quickly overshadowed by plans for Trump and Putin to meet in person to discuss a potential peace deal.
There was no announcement of further sanctions on Russia from the White House on Friday. Trump and Putin spoke by phone in February in the first direct exchange between the leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The last time a US president met Putin was in 2021, when Joe Biden met him at a summit in Geneva, Switzerland.
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