Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a press convention as Denmark launches their EU presidency at Marselisborg Fortress on July 3, 2025 in Aarhus, Denmark.
Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Pictures Europe
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Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Pictures Europe
Ukraine’s President Volodmyr Zelenskyy stated Saturday that his nation has no intention of gifting away its territory captured by Russia within the ongoing battle.
“Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” Zelenskyy stated in a video posted on a number of social media websites, together with X. “We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated,” he added.
His remarks come the day after President Trump introduced he’ll maintain a summit with Russian chief Vladimir Putin in Alaska subsequent Friday.
Trump is looking for an finish to the battle and urged Ukraine may need to surrender a few of the territory that has been captured by Russia.
“It’s very complicated. But we’re going to get some [territory] back, and we’re going to get some switched,” Trump stated. “There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both, but we’ll be talking about that either later, or tomorrow.”
Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov stated Saturday that the U.S. and Russian leaders would search a “long-term solution” to the battle. Russia has made a number of calls for previously that embrace management of Ukrainian territory, limits on the scale of Ukraine’s future navy, and ensures that Ukraine won’t ever be allowed to hitch NATO.
Nonetheless, Ukraine just isn’t a part of the summit, and Zelenskyy stated no choices will be reached with out his nation’s involvement.
“The Ukrainian people deserve peace. But all partners must understand what a dignified peace is,” Zelenskyy stated. “This war must be brought to an end — and Russia must end it. Russia started it and is dragging it out, ignoring all deadlines, and that is the problem, not something else.”
Zelenskyy and different Ukrainian leaders have at all times insisted that their aim is to reclaim all the territory that Russia has captured. Russia first invaded in 2014, after which launched a full-scale navy operation in 2022.
But for greater than two years, the frontlines have barely modified. With extra troops and firepower, Russia is making incremental features at a excessive price, however has not achieved any main breakthroughs. Ukraine has remained largely in defensive positions.
Russian forces management shut to twenty% of Ukraine’s territory within the east and south of the nation.
A sophisticated relationship
The Trump-Putin assembly comes amid a sophisticated relationship between between the 2 leaders over the previous a number of months.
Trump got here into workplace promising to shortly finish the battle, boasting that his ties with Putin would assist deliver a few peace deal.
For months, Trump resisted placing stress on Putin, saying his aim was a peace settlement. However extra lately, Trump’s posture has shifted as Russia escalated strikes towards Ukraine. Trump has threatened harder sanctions towards Moscow, and this week he imposed further tariffs on India, a number one purchaser of Russian oil.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin on Aug. 6 in Moscow, and afterward, Trump stated progress had been made.
The Ukrainians are deeply skeptical about Putin’s intentions. They consider the Russian chief engages in talks to present the looks that he needs a peace deal, however assume he is truly shopping for time to proceed the battle.
Putin final met a U.S. president in 2021, when he sat down with President Joe Biden in Geneva. Trump final met Putin in 2019 on the sidelines of the G20 in Osaka, Japan.
