U.S. President Donald Trump has stated his intention to seek the return of Ukrainian territory during his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
“Russia has occupied a significant portion of Ukraine, prime territory,” Trump remarked at a recent news conference. “We’re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.”
Trump characterized the discussions in Alaska as an initial “feel-out meeting” aimed at persuading Putin to end the conflict, suggesting the possibility of “some swapping, changes in land.”
The phrase “land-swapping” has been previously used by Trump, though the specifics of what territory Russia might concede to Ukraine remain unclear. Kyiv has not historically laid claim to Russian territories.
Trump indicated that he would update European leaders should Putin propose a “fair deal” during the talks, adding that he would consult with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky beforehand “out of respect.”
“I’ll call him first… I’ll call him after, and I may say, ‘lots of luck, keep fighting,’ or I may say, ‘we can make a deal’,” he stated.
Trump also mentioned that while he and Zelensky “get along,” he “very severely disagrees with what he has done.” Trump has previously attributed blame to Zelensky for the war in Ukraine, which commenced with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The U.S. president announced the forthcoming meeting with Putin last Friday, coinciding with his self-imposed deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face further U.S. sanctions.
In response to the announcement of the Alaska summit, Zelensky asserted that any agreements reached without Kyiv’s input would be considered “dead decisions.”
A local official confirmed the three had been killed by “explosive devices”, at beaches where recreational swimming is banned.
The White House says Trump is open to Ukraine joining talks with Putin on Friday, as Zelensky insists any deal without Kyiv is a “dead decision”.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky rules out giving up land, as European security officials meet in the UK.
Michael Gloss, 21, who was killed in Ukraine last year, was the son of Juliane Gallina, a CIA deputy director,
The announcement comes hours after the US leader signals Ukraine may have to cede territory to end the war.