Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, backed by European leaders, is pressing US President Donald Trump to reject any Russian proposals that alter Ukraine’s borders during Friday’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. In an online call with Trump, the leaders are expected to stress that no decisions should be made without Kyiv’s involvement.
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Trump has suggested a “swapping of territories” could be part of a peace deal, raising concerns in Kyiv and Europe that Moscow may secure formal control of the Donbas regions it partially occupies. Zelensky warned that such concessions could embolden future Russian offensives, pointing to recent Russian advances near Dobropillia.
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The Donbas, split between Luhansk and Donetsk, has been contested since 2014. Moscow currently holds nearly all of Luhansk and 70% of Donetsk, but Zelensky insists Ukraine will not “gift land to the occupier” and that constitutional law requires a referendum for territorial changes. The White House describes the Alaska meeting as a “listening exercise,” with Trump calling it a “feel-out meeting” while hinting at optimism for progress.