U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, in their deliberations on the end of the war in Ukraine, seem to have established crucial territorial concessions from Kiev.
The Ukrainian authorities powerfully reject this proposal. “The Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” said president Volodymyr Zelenski in a video from Kiev.
– The answer to questions concerning the territory of Ukraine is in the Constitution of Ukraine. No 1 will quit and no 1 can give up," he said.
Putin's demands
According to reports from American media Putin before the Trump summit, he demanded Russia to gain full control of east Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk circuits. This would mean that the Ukrainian army would give respective 1000 square kilometers of space and strategically crucial cities.
Reports: Moscow wants to take full control of Donetsk and Lugansk
According to reports from the paper "Wall Street Journal", Putin presented this proposal during a Wednesday visit by American negotiator Steve Witkoff to Moscow. On Friday, the White home and the Kremlin confirmed that the gathering on top of Trump with Putin would be held on 15 August in Alaska.
Russia occupied part of the Donetsk and Lugansk territories in the coal and industrial area of Donbas as early as 2014 and renamed them folk republics. Just before the invasion on February 24, 2022, Moscow declared them independent and after fictional referendums, it announced it in the fall of 2022.
In Lugansk, Ukrainian defenders control only a fewer square kilometers. However, in the Donetsk region, where fierce fighting continues, the Ukrainian army inactive controls a 4th of the area.
The Russian Army is moving forward slowly, but with losses. Evacuation would mean that Ukraine would gotta quit a well-fortified chain of Slavic cities, Kramatorsk and Kostyantinówka, and would then be vulnerable.
Trump talks about swapping territories
Trump spoke in Washington unclearly about the swapping of territories that have so far been controlled by Russian or Ukrainian troops, "for the benefit of both parties". He didn't give any details. "Let's look at the territory for which the conflict has been fought for 3 and a half years".
These may be smallheads of the Russian army in Ukrainian front areas in Sumach and Kharkiv. Russian soldiers besides appear to cross the border with the dynamite oblast. Ukraine claims that after the 2024 offensive it inactive has soldiers in Russian territory in Kursk.
According to DPA Trump besides informed European partners about possible territorial exchanges after Witkoff's visit. According to media reports, it is not clear what Russian compensation could be but for the cessation of fights. The issue of safety guarantees for Ukraine remains open.
What about Zaporozh and Cherson?
The destiny of the confederate regions of Ukraine – Zaporozhia and Chersonia remains unclear. Russia has besides annexed them, but only partially controls them. The wide river Dniepr divides both sides. Thanks to conquests in the south, Russia created itself a terrestrial corridor to the Crimean Peninsula already annexed in 2014.
Zelenski criticised Trump's and Putin's choice of the Alaska summit. – Very far from the war that is taking place in our country, against our nation and which cannot end without us, without Ukraine," he said.
Ukraine, like the European countries, is afraid that as the main entity affected by the decisions of the large atomic powers it will be left out.
The White House, erstwhile the summit was first mentioned, said that after the Trump gathering with Putin there should be a tripartite gathering with Zelenski. Moscow, however, invites Trump to a second gathering in Russia, meaning Zelenski is again excluded.
According to Trump, Zelenski inhibits
Trump wants to end the war. However, since taking office in January, he has exerted force not on Russia as an aggressor, but on the attacked Ukraine. Trump's eventual aimed at Putin to halt the wars, expire on Friday and disintegrate in preparations for the summit.
During his speech in the White home with the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Trump suggested that the obstacles resulting from the Ukrainian Constitution constitute a barrier to resolving the conflict. Zelenski must hurry to get political support in his country, "because we are close to reaching an agreement".
However, the president of Ukraine should receive everything he needs, "because he must prepare to sign something," Trump said.
After 3 and a half years of continuous Russian attacks, the population of Ukraine is tired of war. However, giving up territories would origin serious interior policy disturbances.
