Ukraine's Zelenskyy rejects US President's territory swap proposal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that “Ukrainians will not give their land to occupiers,” rejecting US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the war with Russia could end with “some swapping of territories.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for real solutions that could bring peace, but warned that any deal made without Ukraine would be “against peace” and would “achieve nothing.” He stressed that the war “cannot be ended without us, without Ukraine.”
Trump announced that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska. The Kremlin confirmed the date and location, according to Russian state media. Trump said the meeting was delayed due to security arrangements.
The US president suggested that territorial exchanges could benefit both sides, but gave no details. Bloomberg reported that such a deal might freeze battle lines in southern Ukraine, allowing Russia to keep some of its territorial gains in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said there were “hopes” that a freeze in the conflict could be near, adding that Zelenskyy was “cautious but optimistic” about a possible ceasefire.
Trump has previously said he is willing to meet Putin without preconditions, raising fears that Ukraine could be excluded from talks. The planned summit would be the first US-Russia meeting since 2021.
Zelenskyy has been speaking with European leaders, including Germany’s Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron, to ensure Ukraine has a role in any peace talks. The Kremlin said it was focusing on preparations for Trump’s meeting with Putin and was not ready for talks with Zelenskyy.
Last month, Trump warned Putin to agree to a ceasefire or face secondary sanctions. He also imposed a 25% tariff on Indian purchases of Russian oil this week, calling India one of Moscow’s economic supporters.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
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