Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a press convention as Denmark launches their EU presidency at Marselisborg Fort on July 3, 2025 in Aarhus, Denmark.
Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Pictures Europe
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Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Pictures Europe
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Saturday that his nation has no intention of making a gift of its territory captured by Russia within the ongoing warfare.
“Ukrainians won’t present their land to the occupier,” Zelenskyy stated in a video posted on a number of social media websites, together with X. “We won’t 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 searching for an finish to the warfare and urged Ukraine may need to surrender among the territory that has been captured by Russia.
“It is very sophisticated. However we will get some [territory] again, and we will get some switched,” Trump stated. “There will be some swapping of territories to the betterment of each, however we’ll be speaking about that both later, or tomorrow.”
Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov stated Saturday that the U.S. and Russian leaders would search a “long-term answer” to the warfare. Russia has made a number of calls for up to now that embrace management of Ukrainian territory, limits on the dimensions of Ukraine’s future army, and ensures that Ukraine won’t ever be allowed to hitch NATO.
Nonetheless, Ukraine shouldn’t be a part of the summit, and Zelenskyy stated no choices might be reached with out his nation’s involvement.
“The Ukrainian folks deserve peace. However all companions should perceive what a dignified peace is,” Zelenskyy stated. “This warfare should be delivered to an finish — and Russia should finish it. Russia began it and is dragging it out, ignoring all deadlines, and that’s the drawback, not one thing else.”
Zelenskyy and different Ukrainian leaders have all the time 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 army operation in 2022.
But for greater than two years, the frontlines have barely modified. With extra troops and firepower, Russia is making incremental good points at a excessive value, 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.
An advanced 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 rapidly finish the warfare, boasting that his ties with Putin would assist carry a couple of 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 imagine the Russian chief engages in talks to provide the looks that he desires a peace deal, however assume he is really shopping for time to proceed the warfare.
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.
