Zelensky Rules Out Territorial Concessions Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out any possibility of ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia, days before a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Speaking in Kyiv on Saturday, Zelensky warned that any agreement reached without Ukraine’s participation would be “a dead decision” with no legitimacy. He stressed that the country’s territorial integrity is protected by its Constitution and cannot be negotiated away. “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” Zelensky said. “No president, no government, no official in Ukraine has the authority to violate this principle.” The remarks follow Trump’s recent suggestion that his administration could explore a “territory swap” as part of peace talks aimed at ending the war. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism in Kyiv and across Eastern Europe, with Baltic leaders warning that rewarding aggression would undermine global security. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said any land concession would “not be a path to peace but a reward for aggression.” Zelensky underscored that thousands of Ukrainians have died defending their land since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, insisting that “no foreign leader can give it away at the negotiating table.” The Trump-Putin summit, scheduled for August 15, will be their first direct meeting since Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. Discussions are expected to include arms control, sanctions, and NATO’s role in Eastern Europe, but Ukraine fears its sovereignty could be compromised in the process.