Ukraine won’t “reward” land to Russia as a part of a ceasefire deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Saturday morning, rapidly rejecting a suggestion by Donald Trump because the U.S. president prepares to satisfy with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
“The reply to the Ukrainian territorial query already is within the Structure of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated in a Telegram publish. “Nobody will deviate from this — and nobody will be capable of. Ukrainians won’t reward their land to the occupier,” he stated.
His assertion got here after Trump stated on Friday that there can be “some swapping of territories” as a part of a ceasefire deal. Trump is getting ready to satisfy with Putin subsequent Friday in Alaska to debate a truce within the Ukraine warfare.
Beneath the proposal being floated by the Trump administration, Russia would conform to a freeze of the warfare alongside the contact line in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the place Moscow controls much less land than within the Donetsk and Luhansk areas, an individual accustomed to the matter instructed POLITICO.
In return, Russia could be allowed to maintain the Donbas, stated the particular person, granted anonymity to debate delicate diplomacy, as others on this article.
U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff returned from a gathering with Putin earlier this week and instructed Trump that the Russian president had offered the phrases below which the Kremlin would conform to cease hostilities in Ukraine, a White Home official instructed POLITICO.
The official declined to explain Russia’s phrases, however Trump stated land swaps between Russia and Ukraine are below dialogue.
“It’s sophisticated,” Trump stated Friday within the Oval Workplace. “There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of each, however we’ll be speaking about that.”
Trump is planning to satisfy Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15. A senior European official attributed Putin’s willingness to satisfy Trump to joint strain from Washington and its allies.
“It doesn’t imply a deal or a truce has been agreed upon,” stated the White Home official. “The president is discussing it with all of the related events.”
Zelenskyy stated in his assertion early Saturday that Ukraine is “able to work along with President Trump.” However he stated that choices made with out Ukraine are “unworkable.”
“Any choices which are in opposition to us, any choices which are with out Ukraine, are on the identical time choices in opposition to peace,” Zelenskyy stated. “They won’t obtain something. These are stillborn choices.”
Megan Messerly, Felicia Schwartz and Myah Ward contributed reporting.