Latest news with #Ukrainian-held
Mint
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Ukraine President Zelensky snubs Putin's ceasefire terms ahead of Trump summit, rejects demand to withdraw from Donetsk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday firmly rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's demand that Ukraine withdraw from the remaining 30% of Donetsk region under Kyiv's control as part of any ceasefire deal. Zelensky called such territorial concessions unconstitutional and warned they would pave the way for renewed Russian aggression. In a press briefing in Kyiv, Zelensky said Putin wants Ukraine to cede control over roughly 9,000 square kilometers of Donetsk, the region's last Ukrainian-held areas where the war's fiercest fighting continues. 'Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive,' Zelensky said. 'We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part—our territories are illegally occupied.' Zelensky also revealed that US officials had conveyed the need for territorial concessions before the upcoming US-Russia summit in Alaska on Friday, but he emphasised that Ukraine would not agree. Zelensky criticised the current diplomatic approach, stating key issues such as security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe's participation in talks have not been adequately addressed. 'The formats being discussed do not include Europe, and this is critical because Europe provides essential security guarantees,' he said. Ukraine's absence and that of the European Union from the summit have raised concerns across the continent. The EU appealed directly to President Trump to safeguard European and Ukrainian interests. Zelensky also criticised Putin's invitation to talks on US soil as a 'personal victory' for the Russian leader that has delayed further sanctions against Moscow. The upcoming summit will be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021, with Trump seeking to negotiate an end to the war that has lasted more than three years. US President Donald Trump described the Friday meeting as a 'feel-out' and indicated he would quickly know if a deal is possible. 'At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,' Trump said earlier. However, his previous remarks suggesting Ukraine may have to cede some territory have unsettled allies in Europe and Kyiv. Trump has also proposed potential land swaps without clarifying what Russia would surrender. European nations emphasized that peace cannot be achieved without Ukraine's full involvement and stressed that 'international borders must not be changed by force.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to convene virtual talks on Wednesday with Trump, Zelensky, NATO's secretary-general, and other European leaders to strengthen diplomatic efforts.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
EU leaders say Ukraine should have freedom to decide its future – as Zelensky ‘prepares to cede territory' held by Russia
"Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities," the leaders said, adding that "we share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests." The statement, which was agreed late on Monday and published on Tuesday, was endorsed by leaders of all EU member countries except Hungary. It comes amid reports Ukraine could agree to stop fighting and cede territory already held by Russia as part of a European-backed plan for peace. Volodymyr Zelensky told European leaders that they must reject any settlement proposed by Donald Trump which sees them giving up Ukrainian land they still hold – but that Ukrainian territory in Russia's control could be on the table. This would mean freezing the frontline where it is and handing Russia de-facto control of the territory it occupies in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea. The softening of the negotiating position comes ahead of crunch talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday. 'The plan can only be related to the current positions held by the militaries,' a Western official said, characterising a frantic weekend of diplomacy between Kyiv and its allies. Ukraine and Europe have become increasingly concerned that Mr Trump and Putin could negotiate an end to the long-running war over Mr Zelensky's head. 'I have many fears and a lot of hope,' Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, said yesterday. He said US officials had pledged to consult European leaders ahead of the face-to-face talks in Alaska. Chief among European concerns was a purported peace plan endorsed by Moscow, which included freezing the front lines in south-eastern Ukraine if Kyiv agrees to withdraw from areas of Donetsk and Luhansk that it controls. European capitals have opted to back Kyiv's vision for any territorial swaps in an attempt to convince Mr Trump that there is diplomatic weight behind a single 'Ukraine plus Europe' red line that rejects concessions for Ukrainian-held land. 'Europeans now understand their role as supportive of Ukraine in terms of the diplomatic negotiations,' the Western official said. 'It's a boost for morale, it's also strengthening the diplomatic positions of Ukraine so that it doesn't feel alone.' At a news conference yesterday, Mr Tusk said: 'For Poland and our partners, it is clear that state borders cannot be changed by force. 'Russia's war with Ukraine must not bring benefits to the aggressor.' France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz issued similar statements in support of a hardline approach to territorial concessions over the weekend. A joint declaration by the leaders of the European Commission, France, Italy, the UK, Poland and Finland said that 'the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations'. European leaders are expected to hold talks with the US president tomorrow to make their case to him. This doesn't exclude Mr Zelensky from taking the tough decision to cede territory already in the hands of Russia's invasion forces. European officials believe the Ukrainian president has leeway with a growing number of voters who would stomach surrendering land to Moscow as the price for the end of the war. Mr Trump claimed that he would know 'in the first two minutes' of his upcoming meeting with Putin if a peace deal could be reached between Russia and Ukraine. 'We're going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin, and at the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,' the president told reporters at a press conference yesterday. Asked how he would know, the president replied: 'Because that's what I do. I make deals.' However, Mr Trump later appeared to contradict himself, after saying that it was 'not up to him' if a deal was made or not. 'I'm not going to make a deal. It's not up to me to make a deal. 'I think a deal should be made for both,' he said. Mr Trump briefly appeared to forget the location of the meeting, telling reporters at the press conference that he would be travelling to Russia. He added that Mr Zelensky 'could' attend, but also appeared to question if it would help a deal be reached. 'He wasn't a part of it,' Mr Trump said, speaking about the setting up of the talks. 'I would say he could go, but he's been to a lot of meetings. You know, he's been there for three and a half years. Nothing happened.' He added that, should a 'fair' deal be reached, he would inform the European Union as well as Mr Zelensky, who he would call first 'out of respect'. 'And I may say, 'lots of luck, keep fighting.' Or I may say 'we can make a deal,' he said.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Zelensky ‘prepared to cede territory' held by Russia ahead of Alaska summit
Volodymyr Zelensky told European leaders that they must reject any settlement proposed by Donald Trump which sees them giving up Ukrainian land they still hold – but that Ukrainian territory in Russia's control could be on the table. This would mean freezing the frontline where it is and handing Russia de-facto control of the territory it occupies in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea. The softening of the negotiating position comes ahead of crunch talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday. 'The plan can only be related to the current positions held by the militaries,' a Western official said, characterising a frantic weekend of diplomacy between Kyiv and its allies. Ukraine and Europe have become increasingly concerned that Mr Trump and Putin could negotiate an end to the long-running war over Mr Zelensky's head. 'I have many fears and a lot of hope,' Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, said yesterday. He said US officials had pledged to consult European leaders ahead of the face-to-face talks in Alaska. Chief among European concerns was a purported peace plan endorsed by Moscow, which included freezing the front lines in south-eastern Ukraine if Kyiv agrees to withdraw from areas of Donetsk and Luhansk that it controls. European capitals have opted to back Kyiv's vision for any territorial swaps in an attempt to convince Mr Trump that there is diplomatic weight behind a single 'Ukraine plus Europe' red line that rejects concessions for Ukrainian-held land. 'Europeans now understand their role as supportive of Ukraine in terms of the diplomatic negotiations,' the Western official said. 'It's a boost for morale, it's also strengthening the diplomatic positions of Ukraine so that it doesn't feel alone.' At a news conference yesterday, Mr Tusk said: 'For Poland and our partners, it is clear that state borders cannot be changed by force. 'Russia's war with Ukraine must not bring benefits to the aggressor.' France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz issued similar statements in support of a hardline approach to territorial concessions over the weekend. A joint declaration by the leaders of the European Commission, France, Italy, the UK, Poland and Finland said that 'the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations'. European leaders are expected to hold talks with the US president tomorrow to make their case to him. This doesn't exclude Mr Zelensky from taking the tough decision to cede territory already in the hands of Russia's invasion forces. European officials believe the Ukrainian president has leeway with a growing number of voters who would stomach surrendering land to Moscow as the price for the end of the war. Mr Trump claimed that he would know 'in the first two minutes' of his upcoming meeting with Putin if a peace deal could be reached between Russia and Ukraine. 'We're going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin, and at the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,' the president told reporters at a press conference yesterday. Asked how he would know, the president replied: 'Because that's what I do. I make deals.' However, Mr Trump later appeared to contradict himself, after saying that it was 'not up to him' if a deal was made or not. 'I'm not going to make a deal. It's not up to me to make a deal. 'I think a deal should be made for both,' he said. Mr Trump briefly appeared to forget the location of the meeting, telling reporters at the press conference that he would be travelling to Russia. He added that Mr Zelensky 'could' attend, but also appeared to question if it would help a deal be reached. 'He wasn't a part of it,' Mr Trump said, speaking about the setting up of the talks. 'I would say he could go, but he's been to a lot of meetings. You know, he's been there for three and a half years. Nothing happened.' He added that, should a 'fair' deal be reached, he would inform the European Union as well as Mr Zelensky, who he would call first 'out of respect'. 'And I may say, 'lots of luck, keep fighting.' Or I may say 'we can make a deal,' he said. (© Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd)
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
How Ukraine's Critical 'Fortress Belt' Could Be Lost Under Putin's Demands
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Kremlin demands for Ukraine to cede territory in the Donetsk region to Russia for a ceasefire could hand Moscow a big battlefield advantage, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said. Ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week, reports cited by the ISW say the fate of Ukrainian territory Russia partially occupies could be given up to Moscow in exchange for an end to the fighting. The Washington, D.C, think tank said that surrendering strategically vital unoccupied territory in the Donetsk region could force Ukraine to abandon its main defensive line in the region known as the "fortress belt." Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian Defense Ministry for comment. Ukrainian troops search for Russian reconnaissance devices using anti-aircraft FPV drones on July 18, 2025 in Donetsk Region, near Kostiantynivka Frontline, Ukraine. Ukrainian troops search for Russian reconnaissance devices using anti-aircraft FPV drones on July 18, 2025 in Donetsk Region, near Kostiantynivka Frontline, It Matters The fortress belt is made up of four large cities and other towns that run north to south over 30 miles along Donetsk's H-20 Kostyantynivka-Slovyansk highway and has proved to be an obstacle to Russian territorial ambitions since 2014. Trump has said peace talks in Alaska on August 15 would likely discussing "some swapping of territories." Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has repeatedly rejected this move, citing the Ukrainian Constitution but the ISW report outlines its battlefield implications. What To Know Kremlin officials want Ukraine to cede Crimea and all of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts that comprise the Donbas region, as well as freeze other parts of the front line in a ceasefire, Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, said, according to the ISW. Such a move would include Kyiv withdrawing troops from Ukrainian-controlled territory in the Donbas, which Moscow has tried and failed to capture. This would hand Russia control of the main fortified defensive line in the Donetsk region which Ukraine has spent over a decade reinforcing. But handing over the whole region for a ceasefire with no final peace settlement would allow Moscow's forces to renew their attacks on much more favorable terms without any further struggle for the territory where they are trying to envelop from the southwest, the ISW said. Russian forces failed to envelop all of Ukraine's fortress belt in 2022, and such an operation would likely take years and involve high personnel and equipment losses, the think tank said. Ceding Ukrainian-held parts of the Donetsk region would allow Moscow to avoid this complication and let its forces go to the border of the region, which is significantly less defensible than the current line. This would force Ukraine to built fortifications to be built along the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk border areas, the terrain of which is poorly suited to act as a defensive line, the ISW said. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 8, 2025. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 8, think tank said Russian forces will almost certainly violate any future ceasefire or peace agreement and renew military aggression unless a peace agreement includes robust monitoring mechanisms and security guarantees for Ukraine, This highlights the battlefield as well as diplomatic stakes in the coming summit between Trump and Putin on August 15. In an article for the Substack Faridaily, Russia watchers Farida Rustamova and Margarita Liutova said their sources in Moscow said the U.S. does not understand that Putin cannot pause the war without something he can sell to the Russian public as a win. In comments sent to Newsweek, John Herbst, from the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center said that territorial concessions to Moscow are "front-loaded, but the critical things that Moscow must accept will be handled in subsequent peace negotiations." These include Moscow's response to the U.S. and NATO arming of Ukraine, as well as the potential stationing of European peacekeepers in Ukraine. But a temporary ceasefire should not be confused for a lasting peace, Herbst added as Putin's goal to get political control of Ukraine. What People Are Saying The Institute for the Study of War said on Friday: "The surrender of the rest of Donetsk Oblast as the prerequisite of a ceasefire with no commitment to a final peace settlement ending the war would position Russian forces extremely well to renew their attacks on much more favorable terms. "Conceding such a demand would force Ukraine to abandon its "fortress belt," the main fortified defensive line in Donetsk Oblast since 2014 — with no guarantee that fighting will not resume." John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center said the ceasefire terms "reflect what Putin is willing to accept and do now. It says nothing about what he will do in the future." What Happens Next On Saturday, Zelensky has reiterated Ukraine's unwillingness to cede territory for peace, which will add to the anticipation over whether next Friday's summit in Alaska between Putin and Trump can yield a breakthrough.
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Russian shelling kills three in southeastern Ukrainian town of Nikopol, governor says
(Reuters) -Russian artillery shelling killed three people and injured four on Wednesday in the southeastern Ukrainian town of Nikopol, the regional governor said. Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, said two men and a woman died in the attack. Nikopol, lying on the Ukrainian-held north side of the Dnipro River in the region, frequently comes under Russian attack. The RBK-Ukraine media outlet said the strike hit a car belonging to the state emergency services and one of the victims killed was an emergency worker. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; Editing by Sandra Maler)
