KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday rejected the concept that his nation would surrender land to finish the battle with Russia after U.S. President Donald Trump advised a peace deal may embody “some swapping of territories.”
Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine “won’t give Russia any awards for what it has completed” and that “Ukrainians won’t give their land to the occupier.”
The remarks got here after Trump mentioned Friday that he would meet with Vladimir Putin even when the Russian chief would not meet with Zelenskyy. The Trump-Putin assembly, scheduled for Friday in Alaska, is seen as a possible breakthrough within the greater than three-year battle.
Zelenskyy dismissed the planned summit, warning that any negotiations to finish Europe’s greatest battle since World Battle II should embody Kyiv.
“Any selections which can be with out Ukraine are on the identical time selections towards peace. They won’t convey something. These are lifeless selections. They are going to by no means work,” he mentioned.
In an announcement posted to Telegram, Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine’s territorial integrity, enshrined within the structure, have to be nonnegotiable, and emphasised that lasting peace should embody Ukraine’s voice on the desk.
Ukrainian officers had beforehand informed The Related Press privately that Kyiv can be amenable to a peace deal that may de facto acknowledge Ukraine’s lack of ability to regain misplaced territories militarily.
The Trump-Putin assembly could show pivotal in a battle that started when Russia invaded its western neighbor and has led to tens of 1000’s of deaths, though there’s no assure it’s going to cease the combating since Moscow and Kyiv stay far apart on their conditions for peace.
“It appears completely logical for our delegation to fly throughout the Bering Strait merely, and for such an essential and anticipated summit of the leaders of the 2 international locations to be held in Alaska,” Putin’s international affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, mentioned Saturday in an announcement posted to the Kremlin’s information channel.
In his feedback to reporters on the White Home Friday, Trump gave no particulars on the “swapping of territories.” Analysts, together with some near the Kremlin, have advised that Russia may provide to surrender territory it controls exterior of the 4 areas it claims to have annexed.
Trump mentioned his assembly with Putin would come earlier than any sit-down dialogue involving Zelenskyy. His announcement that he deliberate to host certainly one of America’s adversaries on U.S. soil broke with expectations that they’d meet in a 3rd nation. The gesture offers Putin validation after the U.S. and its allies had lengthy sought to make him a pariah over his battle towards Ukraine.
Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia on the Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research, informed the AP that the “symbology” of holding the summit in Alaska was clear, and that the placement “naturally favors Russia.”
“It’s simple to think about Putin making the purpose. … We as soon as had this territory and we gave it to you, due to this fact Ukraine had this territory and now ought to give it to us,” he mentioned, referring to the 1867 transaction referred to as the Alaska Buy when Russia offered Alaska to the US for $7.2 million.
On the streets of Kyiv, reactions to the concept of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia ranged from skepticism to quiet resignation.
“It will not be capitulation, however it might be a loss,” mentioned Ihor Usatenko, a 67-year-old pensioner, who mentioned he would think about ceding territory “on situation for compensation and, probably, some reparations.”
Anastasia Yemelianova, 31, mentioned she was torn: “Truthfully, I’ve two solutions to that query. The primary is as an individual who loves her nation. I don’t need to compromise inside myself,” she informed the AP. “However seeing all these deaths and realizing that my mom is now residing in Nikopol below shelling and my father is combating, I need all this to finish as quickly as attainable.”
Others, like Svitlana Dobrynska, whose son died combating, rejected outright concessions however supported halting fight to avoid wasting lives.
“We don’t have the chance to launch an offensive to recapture our territories,” the 57-year-old pensioner mentioned, “However to forestall individuals from dying, we are able to merely cease navy operations, signal some form of settlement, however not surrender our territories.”
Exasperated that Putin didn’t heed his calls to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, Trump had moved up an ultimatum to impose extra sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs concentrating on international locations that purchase Russian oil if the Kremlin didn’t transfer towards a settlement.
The deadline was Friday. However the White Home didn’t reply questions that night about attainable sanctions after Trump introduced the assembly with Putin.
Earlier than Trump introduced the summit, his efforts to strain Russia into stopping the combating had delivered no progress. The Kremlin’s larger military is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine at nice price in troops and armor whereas it relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities.
On Saturday, two individuals died and 16 have been wounded when a Russian drone hit a minibus within the suburbs of the Ukrainian metropolis of Kherson, regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin mentioned. Two others died after a Russian drone struck their automotive within the Zaporizhzhia area, in line with regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov.
Ukraine’s air pressure mentioned it intercepted 16 of the 47 Russian drones launched in a single day, whereas 31 drones hit targets throughout 15 totally different areas. It additionally mentioned it shot down one of many two missiles Russia deployed.
Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned its air defenses shot down 97 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Black Sea in a single day and 21 extra Saturday morning.
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The ultimate line of this story has been corrected to say that 97 drones have been shot down over Russia in a single day and 21 on Saturday morning.
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Morton reported from London.
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Comply with the AP’s protection of the battle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
