Zelenskyy Refuses to Cede Territory
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has drawn a firm line ahead of the upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, declaring that no part of Ukraine will be given to Russia as part of any peace settlement. In a video address, Zelenskyy stated, “The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question already is 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.”
He warned that deals negotiated without Ukraine’s direct participation would be meaningless. “Decisions without Ukraine 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 Ukraine is ready for “real decisions” that could bring about a “dignified peace,” but stressed that rewarding Russia for its invasion would only embolden future aggression.
Russia’s Current Gains on the Ground
According to European officials, President Vladimir Putin has now proposed that Ukraine withdraw from roughly one-third of Donetsk that it still controls in exchange for a cease-fire. The front line would be frozen elsewhere, including in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, regions that Russia also claims but does not fully control.
Putin no longer insists on some of his earlier, hard-line conditions, such as the complete demilitarization of Ukraine or the removal of its government. Still, Zelenskyy and his allies see his latest offer as an attempt to secure a major territorial windfall without giving anything meaningful in return. European diplomats pointed out that handing over this land would mean “Putin would be getting a windfall in exchange for giving nothing” and would set a dangerous precedent after years of brutal fighting that have cost Russia hundreds of thousands of troops.
Trump’s Position Going into the Summit
President Donald Trump has suggested that a settlement might involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.” Speaking at the White House, he said, “President Putin, I believe, wants to see peace. And Zelenskyy wants to see peace. Now President Zelenskyy has to get everything he needs because he is going to have to get ready to sign something, and I think he is working hard to get that done.”
Trump has been using a mix of incentives and pressure to push the talks forward. His administration recently increased tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, raising the rate to 50 percent, and has delivered Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine with European funding. He delayed imposing new secondary sanctions on Russia after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin for three hours in Moscow earlier this month. That delay has been criticized by some European officials, who say Putin’s willingness to negotiate shows “how vulnerable he was to U.S. pressure” and that Trump should “use his leverage” more aggressively.
The European Counterproposal and Its Risks
Britain, Germany, France, and Ukraine have jointly put forward a counterproposal to Putin’s cease-fire offer. Their plan demands a cease-fire before any other measures and calls for any territorial exchange to be reciprocal. That means if Ukraine were to give up certain areas, Russia would have to withdraw from others. The European proposal also insists on “ironclad security guarantees” for Ukraine, which could include eventual NATO membership.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote, “The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now. Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as it concerns their security.” However, critics warn that these demands, while designed to protect Ukraine, could have the opposite effect. By freezing the lines and tying negotiations to lengthy security arrangements, the plan risks allowing Russia to maintain its battlefield advantages and regroup while the war drags on.
Zelenskyy, reacting to the proposal after speaking with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, called it “a plan to reduce everything to discussing the impossible” and said Ukraine “will not gift its land to anyone.” He also warned of “the danger of Russia’s plan to reduce everything to discussing the impossible” and stressed the need to prevent Moscow from “deceiving anyone again.”
A War in Diplomatic Deadlock
Russia’s offer to trade partial control of Donetsk for a cease-fire has been firmly rejected by both Kyiv and European leaders involved in the talks. Yet their own counterproposal may also be prolonging the conflict. The war has already killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, and each round of failed diplomacy buys Moscow more time to strengthen its positions.
Putin’s willingness to engage shows that U.S. and European pressure can bring him to the table. But without a strategy that forces real concessions from Russia, critics fear the talks in Alaska could end with no progress, leaving the front lines unchanged and the bloodshed continuing. As one senior European official warned, “Any agreement Trump and Putin reach in Alaska wouldn’t be worth much without the participation of European leaders” and, ultimately, Ukraine itself.
NP Editor: Trump’s initial take on the war was wrong, and Putin decided to make him pay by delaying. Then Ukraine managed to strike with drons inside of Russian and Putin withdrew further, determined to get revenge. Zelenskyy can sqawk about his terriritory but it is lost and Russia will not give it back.
Trump is taking more drastic steps because Putin is withdrawing, but Ukraine has lost territory and it will not be returned. Someone needs to convey this to Zelenskyy.
