Latest news with #landswaps
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump and Putin cannot decide on land swaps, say Ukraine and EU
Ukraine and its backers in Europe insist that the United States and Russia cannot decide on land swaps behind their backs at a summit this week, but the Europeans concede that Moscow is unlikely to give up control of Ukrainian land it holds. Ahead of the summit in Alaska on Friday, US President Donald Trump suggested that a peace deal could include 'some swapping of territories', but the Europeans see no sign that Russia will offer anything to swap. Europeans and Ukrainians, so far, are not invited to the summit. European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Monday following talks on Ukraine among US and European security advisers over the weekend. They are wary that President Vladimir Putin will try to claim a political victory by portraying Ukraine as inflexible. Concerns have mounted in Europe and Ukraine that Kyiv may be pressed to give up land or accept other curbs on its sovereignty. Ukraine and its European allies reject the notion that Mr Putin should lay claim to any territory even before agreeing to a ceasefire. 'As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: all temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine', EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of the ministerial meeting. 'A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded,' Ms Kallas said. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said 'it must be obvious to Poland and our European partners – and I hope to all of Nato – that state borders cannot be changed by force'. Any land swaps or peace terms 'must be agreed upon with Ukraine's participation,' he said, according to Polish news agency PAP. On Sunday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany would not accept that territorial issues be discussed or decided by Russia and the United States 'over the heads' of Europeans or Ukrainians. In 2022, Russia illegally annexed the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine's east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, even though it does not fully control them. It also occupies the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014. On the 620-mile front line, Russia's bigger army has made slow but costly progress with its summer offensive. The relentless pounding of urban areas has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to UN estimates. 'In the end, the issue of the fact that the Russians are controlling at this moment, factually, a part of Ukraine has to be on the table' in any peace talks after the Alaska summit, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on CBS on Sunday. Giving up any territory, especially without a ceasefire agreement first, would be almost impossible for Mr Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to sell at home after thousands of troops have died defending their land. Ultimately, Putin is seen as being not so much interested in land itself, but rather in a more 'Russia-friendly' Ukraine with a malleable government that would be unlikely to try to join Nato, just as pro-Russian regions in Georgia stymied that country's hopes of becoming a member. Mr Zelensky insists that a halt to fighting on the front line should be the starting point for negotiations, and the Europeans back him. They say that any future land swaps should be for Ukraine to decide and not be a precondition for a ceasefire.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Trump and Putin cannot decide on land swaps, say Ukraine and EU
Ukraine and its backers in Europe insist that the United States and Russia cannot decide on land swaps behind their backs at a summit this week, but the Europeans concede that Moscow is unlikely to give up control of Ukrainian land it holds. Ahead of the summit in Alaska on Friday, US President Donald Trump suggested that a peace deal could include 'some swapping of territories', but the Europeans see no sign that Russia will offer anything to swap. Advertisement Europeans and Ukrainians, so far, are not invited to the summit. European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Monday following talks on Ukraine among US and European security advisers over the weekend. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said land could not be exchanged by force (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) They are wary that President Vladimir Putin will try to claim a political victory by portraying Ukraine as inflexible. Concerns have mounted in Europe and Ukraine that Kyiv may be pressed to give up land or accept other curbs on its sovereignty. Advertisement Ukraine and its European allies reject the notion that Mr Putin should lay claim to any territory even before agreeing to a ceasefire. 'As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: all temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine', EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of the ministerial meeting. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said Russia controlling part of Ukraine would have to be 'on the table' (Jose Luis Magana/AP) 'A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded,' Ms Kallas said. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said 'it must be obvious to Poland and our European partners – and I hope to all of Nato – that state borders cannot be changed by force'. Advertisement Any land swaps or peace terms 'must be agreed upon with Ukraine's participation,' he said, according to Polish news agency PAP. On Sunday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany would not accept that territorial issues be discussed or decided by Russia and the United States 'over the heads' of Europeans or Ukrainians. In 2022, Russia illegally annexed the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine's east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, even though it does not fully control them. It also occupies the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014. Advertisement On the 620-mile front line, Russia's bigger army has made slow but costly progress with its summer offensive. The relentless pounding of urban areas has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to UN estimates. 'In the end, the issue of the fact that the Russians are controlling at this moment, factually, a part of Ukraine has to be on the table' in any peace talks after the Alaska summit, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on CBS on Sunday. Giving up any territory, especially without a ceasefire agreement first, would be almost impossible for Mr Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to sell at home after thousands of troops have died defending their land. Advertisement Ultimately, Putin is seen as being not so much interested in land itself, but rather in a more 'Russia-friendly' Ukraine with a malleable government that would be unlikely to try to join Nato, just as pro-Russian regions in Georgia stymied that country's hopes of becoming a member. Mr Zelensky insists that a halt to fighting on the front line should be the starting point for negotiations, and the Europeans back him. They say that any future land swaps should be for Ukraine to decide and not be a precondition for a ceasefire.
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Europe says U.S. and Russia cannot decide on Ukraine land swaps at this week's summit
Ukraine and its backers in Europe insist that the United States and Russia cannot decide on land swaps behind their backs at a summit this week, but the Europeans concede that Moscow is unlikely to give up control of Ukrainian land it holds. Ahead of the summit in Alaska on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that a peace deal could include 'some swapping of territories,' but the Europeans see no sign that Russia will offer anything to swap. Europeans and Ukrainians so far are not invited to the summit. European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Monday following talks on Ukraine among U.S. and European security advisors over the weekend. They are wary that President Vladimir Putin will try to claim a political victory by portraying Ukraine as inflexible. European leaders call for Ukraine's involvement in Trump-Putin peace talks Concerns have mounted in Europe and Ukraine that Kyiv may be pressured into giving up land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty. Ukraine and its European allies reject the notion that Putin should lay claim to any territory even before agreeing to a ceasefire. 'As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine,' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on the eve of the ministerial meeting. 'A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded,' Kallas said. On Sunday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany cannot accept that territorial issues in Ukraine would be discussed or decided by Russia and the United States 'over the heads' of Europeans or Ukrainians. Still, it's hard to ignore the reality on the ground. Russia in 2022 illegally annexed the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine's east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, even though it doesn't fully control them. It also occupies the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014. On the 1,000-kilometre front line, Russia's bigger army has made slow but costly progress with its summer offensive. The relentless pounding of urban areas has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to U.N. estimates. 'In the end, the issue of the fact that the Russians are controlling at this moment, factually, a part of Ukraine has to be on the table' in any peace talks after the Alaska summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on CBS on Sunday. Rutte said Ukraine's Western backers 'can never accept that in a legal sense,' but he suggested that they might tacitly acknowledge Russian control. He compared it to the way that the U.S. hosted the diplomatic missions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 1940 to 1991, 'acknowledging that the Soviet Union was controlling those territories, but never accepting (it) in a legal sense.' Giving up claim to any territory, especially without a ceasefire agreement first, would be almost impossible for Zelensky to sell at home after thousands of troops have died defending their land. Ultimately, Putin is seen as being not so much interested in land itself, but rather in a more 'Russia-friendly' Ukraine with a malleable government that would be unlikely to try to join NATO, just as pro-Russian regions in Georgia stymied that country's hopes of becoming a member. Zelensky insists that a halt to fighting on the front line should be the starting point for negotiations, and the Europeans back him. They say that any future land swaps should be for Ukraine to decide and not be a precondition for a ceasefire. Claims on land could also be part of negotiations on the kind of security guarantees that Ukraine might receive to ensure another war does not break out. The Europeans believe Kyiv's best defence is strong armed forces to deter Russia from striking again. They insist there should be no restrictions on the size of Ukraine's army and the equipment, arms and ammunition it can possess or sell. Beyond that, they say Ukraine should not be constrained in its choice of joining the EU or being forced to become a neutral country. The Trump administration has already taken Ukraine's membership of NATO off the table for the foreseeable future.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Europe says US-Russia summit this week cannot decide on Ukraine land swaps
Ukraine and its backers in Europe insist that the United States and Russia cannot decide on land swaps behind their backs at a summit this week, but the Europeans concede that Moscow is unlikely to give up control of Ukrainian land it holds. Ahead of the summit in Alaska on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that a peace deal could include 'some swapping of territories,' but the Europeans see no sign that Russia will offer anything to swap. Europeans and Ukrainians so far are not invited to the summit. European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Monday following talks on Ukraine among U.S. and European security advisors over the weekend. They are wary that President Vladimir Putin will try to claim a political victory by portraying Ukraine as inflexible. Concerns have mounted in Europe and Ukraine that Kyiv may be pressured into giving up land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty. Ukraine and its European allies reject the notion that Putin should lay claim to any territory even before agreeing to a ceasefire. 'As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine,' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on the eve of the ministerial meeting. 'A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded,' Kallas said. On Sunday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany cannot accept that territorial issues in Ukraine would be discussed or decided by Russia and the United States 'over the heads' of Europeans or Ukrainians. Still, it's hard to ignore the reality on the ground. Russia in 2022 illegally annexed the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine's east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, even though it doesn't fully control them. It also occupies the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014. On the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, Russia's bigger army has made slow but costly progress with its summer offensive. The relentless pounding of urban areas has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to U.N. estimates. 'In the end, the issue of the fact that the Russians are controlling at this moment, factually, a part of Ukraine has to be on the table" in any peace talks after the Alaska summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on CBS on Sunday. Rutte said Ukraine's Western backers 'can never accept that in a legal sense,' but he suggested that they might tacitly acknowledge Russian control. He compared it to the way that the U.S. hosted the diplomatic missions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 1940 to 1991, 'acknowledging that the Soviet Union was controlling those territories, but never accepting (it) in a legal sense.' Giving up claim to any territory, especially without a ceasefire agreement first, would be almost impossible for Zelenskyy to sell at home after thousands of troops have died defending their land. Ultimately, Putin is seen as being not so much interested in land itself, but rather in a more 'Russia-friendly' Ukraine with a malleable government that would be unlikely to try to join NATO, just as pro-Russian regions in Georgia stymied that country's hopes of becoming a member. Zelenskyy insists that a halt to fighting on the front line should be the starting point for negotiations, and the Europeans back him. They say that any future land swaps should be for Ukraine to decide and not be a precondition for a ceasefire. Claims on land could also be part of negotiations on the kind of security guarantees that Ukraine might receive to ensure another war does not break out. The Europeans believe Kyiv's best defense is strong armed forces to deter Russia from striking again. They insist there should be no restrictions on the size of Ukraine's army and the equipment, arms and ammunition it can possess or sell. Beyond that, they say Ukraine should not be constrained in its choice of joining the EU or being forced to become a neutral country. The Trump administration has already taken Ukraine's membership of NATO off the table for the foreseeable future. ___ Associated Press writer Dasha Litvinova contributed.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump is deluded if he thinks his meeting with Putin is cause for celebration
Friday's Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is not shaping up well for Ukraine. Every indication is that Trump believes he and his (once again) good friend Putin will conjure some land swaps and bring peace. Of course, the land in question will be bits and pieces of Ukraine's territory, not Russia's, with Moscow probably ending this war controlling 20 per cent of Ukraine. If anyone needed proof that Trump acts in international affairs not like a strategist but like a free electron, this past week settles the matter. Before the Alaska summit even begins, Putin has scored a major propaganda victory. An international pariah, leading a rogue state guilty of unprovoked aggression against its neighbour, is landing on American soil for pictures standing next to the president of the United States. Trump has tariffed the entire world for the privilege of doing business in America, but asked and received exactly nothing from Putin. Inviting him to Alaska is not quite as offensive as inviting the Taliban to Camp David in 2019 to discuss the Afghanistan war, but it comes close. Most ironically, Alaska is former Russian America, purchased (thank God) by Washington in 1867, which some Russian ideologues wish to reclaim. Putin almost certainly concluded from Trump's recent pro-Ukrainian behaviour, such as allowing Patriot air-defence systems to be transferred indirectly to Kyiv, that he had pushed his 'friendship' with Trump too far. With the August 8 deadline to have a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire looming, Putin was doubtless considering how to repair the damage and reel Trump back into line when Trump's envoy-for-everything Steve Witkoff sought a Moscow meeting. We don't know when Putin decided to propose a US-Russia summit, but that idea was certainly conveyed to Witkoff to bring back to Trump. As before, Putin clearly hopes to work his KGB training on Trump, making the president his unwitting tool. Perhaps, Putin reasoned, he might even avoid pain for missing the August 8 deadline. He knew the lure of being the centre of massive press attention is a fatal attraction for Trump, who was almost instantaneously ready for a summit. Indeed, just before announcing that August 15 was the time and Alaska the place, Trump said he wished the summit could have been earlier. Putin not only got his meeting, but TACO ('Trump always chickens out') worked again; August 8 came and went with no new tariffs or sanctions imposed on Moscow, or China, the largest purchaser of Russian oil and gas. Only India was left in the lurch, facing a doubling of its Trump tariff rate to 50 per cent for purchasing Russian hydrocarbons. The Alaska summit recalls Helsinki in 2018, when Trump sided with Putin's denial of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, contrary to what America's intelligence community concluded. Putin is doubtless looking for something analogous. Moscow has already achieved another success by ensuring that no pesky Europeans, especially Ukrainians, would be invited to Alaska, reminiscent of the Trump-Zelensky meeting at Pope Benedict's funeral, where Trump all but pushed French President Macron out of the picture. While Trump simply enjoys getting more attention, the one-on-one format provides exactly the kind of playing field Putin needs. Moreover, the Alaska meeting afforded Russia a first-mover advantage, which it seized immediately. Within 48 hours of Witkoff's Moscow trip, the two sides built on earlier outlines of what Russia would deem an acceptable solution. Press reports indicated that Russia's terms, which seemed acceptable to Trump, resembled vice presidential candidate J D Vance's proposal in September, 2024: Russia would essentially keep Ukrainian lands it had conquered; an undefined peacekeeping force would police the current front lines; and Ukraine would be barred from joining Nato. As observers noted, Vance's plan looked like Russia's. Seemingly, therefore, Trump and Putin are preparing to present Zelensky with a fait accompli after meeting in Alaska. Trump said on Friday that Zelensky would have to remove Ukraine's constitutional prohibitions against ceding territory to another country, which is exactly what Trump is expecting to come. Thus, even before the summit, Putin exploited his first-mover advantage by bringing Trump back to his side. With this disturbing prospect now explicit, Zelensky, in his first public response to news of the Alaska summit, rejected any surrender of Ukrainian lands. Zelensky's response is fully justified and hardly surprising, but it plays into Putin's hands: Russia, he will say, took the lead in seeking peace, and Ukraine is the obstructionist. While we are not yet back to the disastrous February 28 Oval Office encounter between Zelensky and Trump, Putin would obviously like to reprise Trump telling Zelensky 'you don't have the cards right now'. As of today, Putin again has diplomatic momentum, and Zelensky is on the defensive. Time for the UK and Europe's other Ukraine supporters to step in before it's too late.
