European leaders are trying to dictate the terms of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
European Union (EU) leaders insisted Monday that no territory swaps between Russia and Ukraine can be agreed upon during Putin and Trump’s meeting in Alaska scheduled for Friday, while also convening a call Wednesday with the president to hash out the details of the upcoming talks, according to The Associated Press. Trump has floated that the meeting may include “some swapping of territories,” while Russia has proposed ending the war if Ukraine cedes the primarily Russian-speaking Donbas region to Moscow.
“As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine,” said EU foreign policy head Kaja Kallas, according to the AP.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also said that no land swaps should happen at the meeting behind the backs of European leaders, and that “state borders cannot be changed by force,” according to the AP. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also said Sunday he would not accept territorial discussions at the summit.
Trump will have a phone call with European leaders on Wednesday to discuss diplomatic options and the terms of any potential territory swaps. The call will include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Putin reportedly told Witkoff Aug. 6 that he would agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine if Kiev’s forces withdrew from the Donetsk region, officials briefed on the call told The Wall Street Journal. As of August, Moscow occupies most of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, while completely controlling the Luhansk region in the larger Donbas.
Despite the EU’s protests, many European leaders still acknowledge that it is unlikely that Russia will give up any of its occupied territory in Ukraine, according to the AP. Kiev continues to insist that it will not agree to any formal territory loss, and that Ukraine must be a part of any negotiations over its borders.
Since 2022, the U.S. has been the single largest supporter of Ukraine’s defense, appropriating nearly $185 billion in total to help Kiev’s cause since the start of the war in 2022. In July, Trump approved further military aid to Ukraine through NATO, sending more missile interceptors and other armaments to curtail Russian aggression.
The State Department declined to comment.
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