‘No second partition': Zelensky rejects land swaps ahead of Trump-Putin Alaska summit
Live Events
Kyiv demands a seat at the table
Russia-Ukraine war so far
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out any agreement that concedes Ukrainian land to Russia. In a video statement on Saturday, he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of seeking to legitimise occupied territories by offering to halt the war.'Everyone can clearly see Putin's tactics. He fears sanctions and is doing everything to bail on them. He wants to exchange a pause in the war, in the killings, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land,' Zelensky said.He warned that Moscow's ambitions would not end with one deal. 'We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine. Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third. That is why we stand firm on clear Ukrainian positions. We must end the war with a dignified peace, based on a clear and reliable security architecture,' he added.The planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is set for 15 August in Alaska. It will be the first meeting between sitting US and Russian leaders since Biden and Putin met in Geneva in 2021.Trump said the talks could include 'some swapping of territories to the betterment of both' Ukraine and Russia, telling reporters at the White House, 'We're going to get some back, and we're going to get some switched.' He did not explain which areas might be involved. As Ukraine holds no Russian territory, any exchange would mean Kyiv giving up land now under Russian control.Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov called the choice of Alaska 'entirely logical' given its position between the two countries.Zelensky has warned that decisions made without Ukraine 'are at the same time decisions against peace. They will not bring anything. These are dead decisions. They will never work.'He stressed that peace must not come through delay. 'What is needed now is not a pause in the killings, but a real, lasting peace. Not a ceasefire sometime in the future, in months, but immediately. The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together with Ukraine – this is fundamental.'The White House is considering whether to invite Zelensky to Alaska. 'It's being discussed,' said one person familiar with the talks. A senior US official said it was 'absolutely' possible, though it is unclear if Zelensky and Putin would meet directly.Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after a referendum not recognised by Ukraine and most of the international community. In 2022, it claimed four more regions – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – following similar votes. Moscow has demanded Kyiv withdraw its forces from these areas.According to RT, Putin's latest proposal includes retaining control of these territories as part of a settlement. Zelensky responded, 'Now Putin wants to be forgiven for seizing the south of our Kherson region, Zaporozhye, the entire territory of Lugansk region, Donetsk region, and Crimea. We will not allow Russia to make this second attempt to divide Ukraine.'Even as talks are discussed, the conflict continues. On Saturday, a Russian drone strike on a minibus in Kherson's suburbs killed two people and injured 16, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. In Zaporizhzhia, another drone attack on a car killed two more, according to governor Ivan Fedorov.Russia's defence ministry said its air defences destroyed 97 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russia and the Black Sea, and another 21 the following morning.Zelensky has repeated his call for a face-to-face meeting with Putin. 'We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders. It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed,' he wrote on social media.He said he had spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and officials from France and Italy, adding, 'There will also be communication at the level of national security advisors. The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
9 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Express View: For end to conflict between Russia and Ukraine, all parties need to be on the table
There is a symbolism to the location of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that speaks to the broader picture three-and-a-half years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Alaska, once part of Russia, was sold to the US in the 19th century and is an important piece in the countries' shared history. Geographically, it is the closest point between Russia and America. But the venue also frames an absence: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not be present at the meeting, nor will any of the US's European allies, who view Putin's alleged expansionism as a direct threat. A statement by Italy, France, Germany, Poland and the European Commission welcomed the meeting, while insisting that 'the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine'. While Trump has said that 'some swapping of territories to the betterment of both [Russia and Ukraine]' may be necessary to resolve the conflict, Zelenskyy has insisted that 'Ukraine will not gift their land to the occupier'. For Moscow — unlike its past adventures in Georgia and Crimea — Ukraine has turned out to be a protracted conflict with severe economic, political and manpower costs. Rather than fortifying Russia's standing on the global stage, the conflict has made it more dependent on China. Its actions have also united much of Europe and led to an expansion of NATO, diminishing rather than enhancing Russia's security. Ukraine has received considerable monetary and strategic support from the West — but the war is taking its toll. The change of guard in Washington has also made the US's support more conditional and uncertain. In fact, the drive from the Trump administration to end the conflict has as much to do with domestic politics as it does with America's strategic interests. Throughout his election campaign last year, Trump insisted that the conflict was avoidable and that he would end the war and ensure a 'deal' between the two countries as president. The continuing conflict hurts Trump with the MAGA base, and his growing frustration with Putin has been evident in his social media posts, including those that threatened sanctions. The repercussions of the Ukraine conflict have been felt beyond Europe. Supply chains of essentials, including food and fuel, were disrupted. New Delhi has consistently been a voice for peace through dialogue in the region and has welcomed the Alaska meeting. This moral stand is also practical: India faces an additional 25 per cent tariff from the US, ostensibly because it purchases Russian oil. However, given the hard stands taken by Moscow and Kyiv, and the absence of Ukraine and Europe in Alaska, it is important to temper the expectations of Friday's meeting. That said, a concrete proposal for a ceasefire and a well-laid-out roadmap to peace could move the needle significantly.
Mint
9 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump to meet Putin to see ‘what he has in mind' as Russia continues to bomb Ukraine: ‘Within 2 minutes…'
Just days before his high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump said he is going there to 'see what he has in mind,' while also declaring that he would know 'in first two minutes' whether a deal to halt the Ukraine war can be done. Donald Trump said he's going to walk out of the Alaska meeting if there is no deal and 'that would be the end of it,' he said. Addressing a press conference at the White House, Donald Trump said, 'At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made.' He said he thought Friday's sitdown with Putin in Alaska would be 'really a feel-out meeting.' Trump added that 'it'll be good, but it might be bad' and predicted he may say, "lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal.' 'I'm going to see what he has in mind. I may leave and say good luck, and that'll be the end,' Donald Trump said. The US President also reiterated his plan to pursue the 'land swaps' offer during the meeting with his Russian counterpart as he also dismissed what Ukraine wants. During the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had asserted that the country's Constitution bars ceding territory to an invader. He has, so far, not been invited to participate in the Trump-Putin talks. Vladimir Putin wants to lock in Russia's gains since invading Ukraine in February 2022 as Trump presses for a ceasefire. Trump's eagerness to reach a deal has raised fears in Ukraine and Europe about such an agreement favoring Russia, without sufficient input from Ukraine. Donald Trump has alternately harshly criticized both leaders after promising – and so far failing – to swiftly end the conflict – something he claimed he would do in 24 hours after taking over the presidency. Donald Trump also said that after his meeting with Vladimir Putin, 'The next meeting will be with Zelenskyy and Putin,' but it could also be a meeting with 'Putin and Zelenskyy and me.'
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Putin's ‘Old Foe' Hints At Major War Move; Azerbaijan Fumes At Russian Attacks On Its Sites In Ukraine
/ Aug 12, 2025, 06:40AM IST Azerbaijan is poised to change the dynamics with Russia following recent Russian strikes on Azerbaijani energy infrastructure in Ukraine. After multiple attacks, including drone strikes on SOCAR oil depots and pipelines, Azerbaijan is considering arming Kyiv for the first time since the full-scale war began. Ukrainian and Azerbaijani presidents have discussed strengthening energy cooperation and vowed to continue their partnership despite challenges. #Azerbaijan #Russia #UkraineWar #SOCAR #EnergyAttack #Zelensky #Aliyev #MilitaryMove #RussiaUkraineConflict #Defense #InternationalRelations #Geopolitics #WarUpdate #UkraineSupport #TransBalkanPipeline
