Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday (August 9, 2025) warned that “decisions without Ukraine” wouldn’t convey peace and dominated out ceding territory to Russia.
“Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” he mentioned on social media, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin put together to carry a summit subsequent week in Alaska to debate peace in Ukraine.
“Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace. They will achieve nothing,” he mentioned, including that the warfare “cannot be ended without us, without Ukraine”.
Mr. Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine was “ready for real decisions that can bring peace” however mentioned it needs to be a “dignified peace”, without giving particulars.
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.
Three rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine this yr have did not bear fruit, and it stays unclear whether or not a summit would convey peace any nearer.
Mr. Putin has resisted a number of calls from the United States, Europe and Kyiv for a ceasefire.
He has additionally dominated out holding talks with Mr. Zelenskyy at this stage, a gathering the Ukrainian president says is critical to make headway on a deal.
Announcing the summit with Mr. Putin on Friday, Mr. Trump mentioned that “there’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Ukraine and Russia, without offering additional particulars.
The Alaska summit on August 15 can be the primary between sitting U.S. and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Mr. Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin final sat collectively in 2019 at a G20 summit assembly in Japan throughout Trump’s first time period. They have spoken by phone a number of instances since January.
