Ukraine’s Zelenskyy on Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin summit in Alaska: Very far away from this war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday decried US President Donald Trump’s decision to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week, insisting that no peace settlement is possible without Ukraine’s involvement and warning that any deal excluding Kyiv would result in “dead solutions”. He pointed out that the talks are set to be held “very far away from this war”.

“President Trump announced preparations for his meeting with Putin in Alaska. Very far away from this war, which is raging on our land, against our people, and which anyway can’t be ended without us, without Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader said in a video statement.

Trump on Friday announced that he will meet Putin on August 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the Russian war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for three and a half years despite multiple attempts at a truce.

Zelenskyy and his administration have consistently advocated for a three-way summit, arguing that direct negotiations with Moscow are the only way to make meaningful progress.

Zelenskyy’s remarks reflect growing concern in Kyiv that a direct US-Russia summit, held without Ukrainian participation, could result in a peace deal detrimental to the country’s interests. Some reports suggest Washington and Moscow are considering a truce that would cement Putin’s territorial gains and require Ukraine to cede significant land.

“Ukraine is ready for real decisions that can bring peace. Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace. They will not achieve anything. These are stillborn decisions. They are unworkable decisions. And we all need real and genuine peace. Peace that people will respect,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that Ukraine could not violate its Constitution on territorial issues, adding that “Ukrainians will not give their land to occupiers”.

“The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will deviate from this — and no one will be able to. Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” the Ukrainian leader affirmed.

Talking to reporters at the White House before his social media post on talks with Putin, Trump suggested that any agreement would likely involve “some swapping of territories,” but he gave no details.

“Nothing easy,” the US President said. “But we’re gonna get some back. We’re gonna get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both.”

The war in Ukraine began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has since entered its fourth year. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people.

Despite multiple rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv — mediated by the Trump administration — no significant progress has been made toward a lasting ceasefire or a peace deal. The two sides remain entrenched, with Russia continuing its military offensive across Ukraine and Kyiv vowing to reclaim all occupied territories.

The US and Ukraine have also held multiple rounds of talks at various levels, including a meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy in February this year, which escalated into an Oval Office clash between the two leaders. Subsequently, the US briefly paused its military aid to Ukraine, even blaming Zelenskyy for the war and labelling him a dictator.

However, within weeks, the tables turned. Zelenskyy reconciled with Trump, and the US President began criticising his Russian counterpart for ignoring his requests to work toward a resolution. Just last week, Trump accused Russia of “disgusting” behaviour that undermines peace in Ukraine.

Talks in Alaska are expected to grant Putin a measure of legitimacy after years of US and allied efforts to isolate him over his war in Ukraine.

Trump had said that his meeting with Putin would come before any sit-down discussion involving Zelenskyy. He also previously agreed to meet with Putin even if the Russian leader would not meet with Zelenskyy.

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