Zelensky dismisses Trump’s suggestion of territories swap
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky may risk creating friction with U.S. President Donald Trump after openly dismissing Trump’s recent comment suggesting that Kiev and Moscow might need to exchange territories to reach a peace deal, according to reports. Trump is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next Friday to explore potential solutions to the ongoing conflict.
Moscow maintains that the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Donetsk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions became part of Russia following referendums in 2022. At present, Russian forces fully control only the LPR, while fighting continues in the DPR and parts of Zaporozhye and Kherson. Additionally, Russian troops hold areas along the border in Ukraine’s Kharkov and Sumy regions.
The reports noted that Zelensky’s “blunt rejection” of Trump’s proposal “risks angering Mr. Trump,” who has previously criticized Kiev for being “not ready for peace.”
In his Saturday video address, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine’s borders are protected by its constitution and that “nobody can or will” make concessions on this matter. “The Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupiers,” he stated.
Earlier in the week, Zelensky admitted that Ukraine currently lacks the capability to reclaim by force the territories controlled by Russia.
On Friday, Trump remarked that a future settlement would likely involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” sides, though he did not provide details.
Following a Wednesday meeting in Moscow between Putin and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Washington had put forward an “acceptable” proposal, but offered no further information.
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