KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday ruled out ceding any territory to Russia as part of efforts to end the ongoing war, responding to reports that upcoming U.S.-Russia talks could enshrine Moscow’s occupation of Ukrainian land.
The remarks followed revelations that discussions between Washington and Moscow were focused on a potential deal that would solidify Russian control over territories seized since its 2022 invasion — including Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, and the entire eastern Donbas region. Such an agreement would require Kyiv to withdraw troops from remaining government-held areas in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, with no Ukrainian representation in the talks. Zelensky warned that any peace plan devised without Ukraine’s participation would be “decisions against peace” and “will not achieve anything.”
“The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will deviate from this,” Zelensky said in a Telegram post, vowing that Ukraine was prepared to work with Trump and “all our partners” for a lasting peace that would not collapse “because of Moscow’s desire.”
Even as diplomatic preparations proceed, the conflict raged on. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces shot down 118 Ukrainian drones over its territory through Saturday morning, including two targeting Moscow. In turn, Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting one Russian Iskander missile and 16 drones overnight, from a barrage that included 47 drones and two Iskander missiles launched by Russian forces.
The Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin is set to be watched closely by Kyiv and its allies, with fears that any territorial concessions could set a precedent undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and international law.