The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, warned this Saturday that his country will not cede territory to Russia, hours later that Donald Trump suggested the possibility that peace would involve a territorial exchange that "would benefit both sides." Washington and Moscow agreed to a meeting between their leaders to end the war that began on Vladimir Putin's orders more than three years ago. "Ukrainians will not give up their land to the occupier," Zelensky declared. "Decisions cannot be made against us, decisions cannot be made without Ukraine. It would be a decision against peace." "They will achieve nothing," the president warned. The war "cannot end without us, without Ukraine," he added, stressing that Kyiv is ready to "make real decisions that can bring peace," which must be "a dignified peace."

US President Donald Trump and Russian regime leader Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska, near Russia, on August 15 to try to end the conflict, despite multiple warnings from Ukraine and Europe that Kyiv must be part of the negotiations. Zelensky, in fact, defends the need for Europe to also be at the table.

“Let the Russians not deceive anyone once again.”

During the day, the president of Ukraine held a series of talks with his closest allies, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Via X (Twitter), Zelensky stressed that Europeans “are ready to make the most productive efforts possible for a real peace.” "It is truly important that the Russians do not succeed in deceiving anyone once again. We all need a genuine end to the war and a reliable security foundation for Ukraine and other European nations," Zelensky said. "All our steps must bring us closer to a real end to the war, not a reconfiguration. And our joint decisions with our partners must serve our common security," he emphasized.

“The Russians still refuse to stop the massacres, continue to invest in the war, and continue to push the idea of 'trading' Ukrainian territory for Ukrainian territory, with consequences that only guarantee a more favorable position for Russia to resume the war,” the president said. So far, Putin has resisted multiple calls from the United States, Europe, and Ukraine for a cease-fire.