Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet within the U.S. state of Alaska this Friday (August 15, 2025) to attempt to resolve the three-year battle, regardless of warnings from Ukraine and Europe that Kyiv have to be a part of negotiations.
Announcing the summit final week, Mr. Trump mentioned that “there’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of each” sides, with out elaborating.
But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Saturday (August 9, 2025) that Ukraine received’t give up land to Russia to purchase peace. “Ukrainians is not going to give their land to the occupier,” he mentioned on social media. “Any choices in opposition to us, any choices with out Ukraine, are additionally choices in opposition to peace,” he added.
Mr. Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s allies to take “clear steps” in direction of attaining a sustainable peace throughout a name with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
European leaders issued a joint assertion in a single day Saturday (August 9, 2025) to Sunday (August 10, 2025) saying that “solely an strategy that mixes energetic diplomacy, help to Ukraine and strain on the Russian Federation to finish their unlawful warfare can succeed”.
They welcomed Mr. Trump’s efforts, saying they have been prepared to assist diplomatically — by sustaining help to Ukraine, in addition to by upholding and imposing restrictive measures in opposition to Russia.
“The present line of contact needs to be the place to begin of negotiations”, mentioned the assertion, signed by leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain, Finland and EU Commission chief Ursula Von Der Leyen, with out giving extra particulars.
They additionally mentioned a decision “should defend Ukraine’s and Europe’s very important safety pursuits”, together with “the necessity for strong and credible safety ensures that allow Ukraine to successfully defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “The path to peace in Ukraine can’t be determined with out Ukraine,” they mentioned.
National safety advisors from Kyiv’s allies — together with the United States, EU nations and the U.Okay. — gathered in Britain on Saturday (August 9, 2025) to align their views forward of the Putin-Trump summit.
French President Emmanuel Macron, following cellphone calls with Mr. Zelenskyy, Mr. Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, mentioned “the way forward for Ukraine can’t be determined with out Ukrainians” and that Europe additionally needed to be concerned within the negotiations.
In his night handle Saturday (August 9, 2025), Mr. Zelenskyt pressured: “There have to be an trustworthy finish to this warfare, and it’s as much as Russia to finish the warfare it began.”
A ‘dignified peace’
Three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine this 12 months have did not bear fruit.
Tens of 1000’s of individuals have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with tens of millions pressured to flee their properties.
Mr. Putin, a former KGB officer in energy in Russia for over 25 years, has dominated out holding talks with Mr. Zelenskyy at this stage.
Ukraine’s chief has been pushing for a three-way summit and argues that assembly Mr. Putin is the one technique to make progress in direction of peace.
The summit in Alaska, the far-north territory which Russia offered to the United States in 1867, could be the primary between sitting U.S. and Russian Presidents since Joe Biden met Mr. Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
Nine months later, Moscow despatched troops into Ukraine.
Mr. Zelenskyy mentioned of the situation that it was “very far-off from this warfare, which is raging on our land, in opposition to our individuals”.
The Kremlin mentioned the selection was “logical” as a result of the state near the Arctic is on the border between the 2 international locations, and that is the place their “financial pursuits intersect”.
Moscow has additionally invited Mr. Trump to pay a reciprocal go to to Russia later.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin final sat collectively in 2019 at a G20 summit assembly in Japan throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period. They have spoken by phone a number of occasions since January, however Mr. Trump has did not dealer peace in Ukraine as he promised he may.
Fighting goes on
Russia and Ukraine continued pouring dozens of drones onto one another’s positions in an alternate of assaults within the early hours of Saturday (August 9, 2025).
A bus carrying civilians was hit in Ukraine’s frontline metropolis of Kherson, killing two individuals and wounding 16.
The Russian Army claimed to have taken Yablonovka, one other village within the Donetsk area, the positioning of probably the most intense preventing within the east and one of many 5 areas Mr. Putin says is a part of Russia.
In 2022, the Kremlin introduced the annexation of 4 Ukrainian areas — Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — regardless of not having full management over them.
As a prerequisite to any peace settlement, Moscow demanded Kyiv pull its forces out of the areas and decide to being a impartial state, shun Western navy help and be excluded from becoming a member of NATO.
Kyiv mentioned it will by no means recognise Russian management over its sovereign territory, although it acknowledged that getting land captured by Russia again must come by way of diplomacy, not on the battlefield.
Leave a Comment