Zelenskyy visits London as Ukraine braces for Trump-Putin meet
Friday's Alaska summit comes at one of the toughest moments for Ukraine in a war, the largest in Europe since World War Two, that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
On the backfoot on the battlefield against Russian forces, Zelenskyy and his allies are keen to avoid any deal between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that leaves Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to build on momentum from virtual talks on Wednesday with European leaders and Trump to try to set red lines for the talks between Trump and Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. Zelenskiy and Starmer embraced before heading in to their meeting in Downing Street.
On Wednesday, Trump threatened "severe consequences" if Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine and while he did not specify what the consequences could be, he has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting on Friday proves fruitless.
More: Seeing 'oceanfront property' in Ukraine, Trump's real estate history shapes his presidency
"Yesterday was a pivotal moment for reinforcing European and transatlantic unity," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X. "We need peace through strength as a foundation for the future of global security and stability."
Zelenskyy said he warned Trump that Putin was "bluffing" about his desire to end the war.
The Ukrainian leader also said Trump had supported the idea of security guarantees in a post-war settlement. Politico cited people familiar with the situation as saying that Trump had said the U.S. could provide guarantees with some conditions.
RUSSIAN MILITARY ADVANCES
Zelenskyy confirmed this week that Russian forces had advanced by about 9-10 km (6 miles) near the town of Dobropillia in the Donetsk region. Ukraine, suffering manpower challenges, was forced to move in reserves to stabilise the situation.
Trump's comments and the outcome of the virtual conference on Wednesday could provide encouragement for Kyiv.
Trump described the aim of his talks with Putin in Alaska as "setting the table" for a quick follow-up that would include Zelenskyy.
More: Trump-Putin meeting: Sprawling Army base that has hosted dignitaries is backdrop for talks
However, Russia is likely to resist Ukraine and Europe's demands strongly and previously has said its stance had not changed since it was first detailed by Putin in June 2024.
Trump has said a deal could include what he called a land swap. Russia controls around a fifth of Ukraine and a land swap within Ukraine could cement Moscow's gains.
Zelenskyy and the Europeans worry that would reward Putin for nearly 11 years of efforts to seize Ukrainian land and embolden him to expand further west in Europe.
Dmitriev, who heads up Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund, has previously held talks with Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, and has spoken of possible business cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
Trump's agreement last week to the summit was an abrupt shift after weeks of voicing frustration with Putin for resisting the U.S. peace initiative.
More: What's latest in Russian-Ukraine war? A closer look at the map ahead of Trump-Putin meet
A Gallup poll released last week found that 69% of Ukrainians favour a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. But polls also indicate Ukrainians do not want peace at any cost if that means significant concessions.
As conditions for a ceasefire and the start of talks, Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw its forces from four regions that Russia has claimed as its own but does not fully control, and formally renounce plans to join NATO.
Kyiv swiftly rejected the conditions as tantamount to surrender.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony, Olena Harmash, Andrew Osborn; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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