Kyiv, Ukraine — August 9, 2025 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a Ukraine-Russia territorial swap deal aimed at ending the ongoing war. Speaking early Saturday on Telegram, Zelenskyy declared:
“Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier. The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in our constitution. No one can deviate from it.”
His remarks came just hours after Trump confirmed that a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place next Friday in Anchorage, Alaska — their first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump’s Land Swap Proposal Sparks Controversy
On Friday, Trump floated the idea that Russia and Ukraine could exchange control of certain regions as part of a ceasefire plan. He did not clarify whether this meant formal annexations or temporary administrative control.
A senior White House official later revealed that Russia’s latest ceasefire demands include:
Ukraine giving up all territories Moscow claims to have annexed
Ukraine adopting permanent neutrality, ruling out future NATO membership
Putin currently claims:
Luhansk
Donetsk
Zaporizhzhia
Kherson
And Crimea, annexed in 2014
Zelenskyy: “No Peace Without Ukraine at the Table”
Zelenskyy warned that any agreement made without Ukraine’s direct involvement would be “decisions against peace” and doomed to fail. Kyiv’s official stance remains unchanged — no surrender of illegally annexed territory and binding security guarantees from allies.
This weekend, Zelenskyy spoke with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Both reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty. Macron stressed the need for a ceasefire that respects international law and Ukraine’s borders.
US and Allies Craft Counterproposal
In London, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Ukrainian Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.
Talks centered on a Ukrainian counterproposal to Russia’s terms and potential security guarantees without NATO membership. Kellogg is scheduled to travel to Kyiv next week for additional high-level talks before the Alaska summit.
Alaska Peace Summit: High Stakes, Low Expectations
While Trump campaigned on ending the war “within 24 hours,” experts remain cautious. Peter Watkins of Chatham House notes:
“For Russia, this isn’t just about territory. It’s about controlling Ukraine as a whole. Even if the summit produces something, it may be just one step in a long process.”
War on the Ground Continues
Overnight, Russian drone strikes killed two civilians and injured six in Kherson. Ukraine’s Air Force said 47 drones were launched, with 31 hitting targets across multiple regions. The war remains Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
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