Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will meet in Alaska to assess the likelihood of a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, Trump’s unwillingness to ensure Ukrainian involvement in the negotiations has alarmed Kyiv and people throughout Europe, as worries grow that any deal may favour Moscow.
During a press conference at the White House, Trump called the meeting a “feel-out session” and asserted that he would know “within two minutes” if a deal was feasible. He also said that he might tell Putin to “keep fighting” or declare that “we can make a deal” at the end of Friday’s talks.
Putin is anticipated to insist on Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO and the acknowledgement of Russia’s territorial gains since the February 2022 incursion, requests that Kyiv has strongly opposed. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has made it clear that he would not give up on his goal of joining NATO or allow any official acquisition of territory.
The fear has increased as a result of Trump’s remarks regarding possible “land swaps.” He has mentioned the notion before, but he hasn’t specified which territories would be involved. European officials caution that such plans might jeopardise Ukraine’s sovereignty, as Kyiv has continuously opposed giving land to Russia.
Germany invited Trump, Zelensky, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and several EU leaders to a virtual conference on Wednesday to present a united front ahead of the Alaska summit. The office of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasised that Ukraine must make its own decisions “independently and autonomously” and that boundaries “must not be shifted by force.”
Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas emphasised that Kyiv must be included in the negotiation process and warned that any agreement made without Ukraine’s approval would be “dead on arrival.” In a joint statement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that peace “must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it.”
The Kremlin has downplayed expectations of any future meeting with Zelensky, maintaining that the conditions for direct talks remain distant.
The conflict is still ongoing in the interim. Ukrainian drone attacks killed one person and injured two more in the Oryol region of Russia, around 418 kilometres east of Moscow. Russia’s Defence Ministry claims that during the night, its air defences in several areas of Crimea intercepted 39 Ukrainian drones.
Following his discussions with Putin, Trump, who has alternately condemned and complimented Zelensky and Putin, stated that he will speak with the Ukrainian president “out of respect.” Although he conceded that “it might be good, it might be bad,” he maintained that his objective is to strike “the best deal that can be made for both parties.”
The stakes for Friday’s summit could not be higher, as Ukraine is struggling to hold the 1,000-kilometre frontline, and there is no indication that Russia is going to stop the battle.
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