US President Donald Trump, ahead of his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15, floated the controversial idea of “land swaps” as a possible path to ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Trump indicated that he would attempt to recover some Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia since the conflict began in 2022.
“Russia’s occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They occupied prime territory. We’re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine,” Trump said, adding, “There’ll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody, to the good of Ukraine.”
Donald Trump Meeting with Putin: ‘First Two Minutes Will Tell’
The US President expressed confidence that he would quickly gauge Putin’s willingness to negotiate peace.
“At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,” Trump said during a White House press conference. “I’m going to be telling him, ‘You’ve got to end this war.’”
Describing the upcoming August 15 sitdown in Alaska as “really a feel-out meeting,” Trump said the outcome could be positive or negative. “It’ll be good, but it might be bad,” he added. “I may say, ‘lots of luck, keep fighting.’ Or I may say, ‘we can make a deal.’”
He further elaborated on his approach, stating he was going to Alaska to “see what \[Putin] has in mind.”
Dismissal of Zelenskyy’s Constitutional Concerns
Trump reiterated his land swap proposal despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s position that the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits ceding territory to an invader. “I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelenskyy was saying I have to get constitutional approval,” Trump said. “He has approval to go to war and kill everybody but he needs approval to do a land swap.”
He emphasized that “there will be some land swapping going on,” a point he claims to have confirmed “through Russia and through conversations with everybody.”
Vision for a Peace Deal
Trump outlined his vision for a peace settlement that involves territorial compromises on both sides. “We’re going to change the lines, the battle lines,” he said. “An agreement would include good stuff, not bad stuff, also some bad stuff for both.”
Despite the announcement, Trump has yet to receive an invitation to officially participate in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine peace discussions.
Also Read: Ukraine Peace Talks Must Include Kyiv, Say Western Leaders As They Warn Against Rewarding Russia
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
