Zelensky Says He Won’t Trade Land For Peace Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit
Ukraine will not relinquish any territory to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted early Saturday, shortly after Washington and Moscow reached an agreement to convene a summit aimed at resolving the conflict.
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are scheduled to meet in Alaska—a state adjacent to Russia—on August 15 to seek a resolution to the three-year war, despite ongoing warnings from Ukraine and European leaders that Kyiv must be part of any discussions.
In announcing the summit on Friday, Trump indicated that there might be “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Ukraine and Russia, although he did not elaborate further.
“Ukrainians will not surrender their land to the occupier,” Zelensky stated on social media shortly thereafter.
“Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace. They will yield no results,” he remarked, emphasizing that the war “cannot be concluded without us, without Ukraine.”
Zelensky expressed that Kyiv was “prepared for genuine decisions that can foster peace” but insisted it should be a “dignified peace,” without providing additional specifics, as reported by Agence France Presse.
Achieving peace in the war-affected region has been a priority for Trump since before he commenced his second term in January.
In May, attempts to resolve the conflict seemed to be approaching a pivotal moment as Putin, Trump, and Zelensky contemplated a three-way meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.
Zelensky had requested a face-to-face meeting with Putin there, which would have marked the first direct discussions between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Trump had mentioned that he could have joined them swiftly if there were indications of a potential agreement to cease the violence. At that time, the Putin administration had announced it would send a delegation to Istanbul but had not confirmed whether the Russian president would be among those attending.
While speaking with journalists aboard Air Force One, Trump indicated that he was contemplating his attendance at the event.
“He would like me to be present, and that is a possibility,” Trump remarked to reporters on Air Force One, referring to Putin. “I am uncertain whether he would attend if I am not there. We will find out.”
At that moment, Trump was in the Middle East and mentioned that, despite having a packed schedule, he would consider altering his itinerary to participate in a Russia-Ukraine summit if both leaders were present and a peace agreement could be reached.
“We have a very full situation. However, that does not imply that I would not take action to save numerous lives and return,” Trump stated, as reported by a pool report from the Washington Post.
In April, during his attendance at Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome, Trump and Zelenskyy met face-to-face for the first time since their intense Oval Office discussion in February. The week prior, Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned in Paris that the U.S. might “move on” if there is no immediate progress towards a peace agreement.
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy shared on X that he and Trump “discussed a lot one-on-one” at the Vatican.
“I am hopeful for results on all the topics we addressed,” the Ukrainian president stated. “Protecting the lives of our citizens. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A dependable and lasting peace that will avert another conflict. This meeting is very symbolic and has the potential to be historic if we achieve mutual outcomes. Thank you [President Trump].”]} }}]}
Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to… pic.twitter.com/q4ZhVXCjw0
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 26, 2025