Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invitation to meet Donald Trump in the United States a ‘personal victory’ for the Kremlin leader. Zelensky said the planned Alaska summit would delay new US sanctions for Moscow.
The meeting is set to be held on Friday. It will mark the first sitting between the US and Russian presidents since 2021. Trump stated that he tried to crack a deal to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelesky Rejects Donbas Withdrawl
Zelensky, who will not attend the talks, warned that Russia could present high-line demands and that Trump might agree to a land sweep requiring Ukraine to cede territory. The Donbas region covers Lugansk and Donetsk, both claimed by Russia since its 2022 invasion.
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He argued that the Friday meeting effectively postpones new US sanctions promised by Trump if Putin refused to stop the war.
Zelensky stated that Putin will meet Trump on US territory and considers it a ‘personal victory’ for him. He added, “With this meeting, he has somehow postponed sanctions,” Zelensky said.
he also mentioned receiving a ‘signal’ from US envoy Steve Witkoff, suggesting Russia might agree to a ceasefire, though he gave no details.
Battlefield Situation
On the ground, Zelensky reported Russian advances near Dobropilia, where troops had pushed up to 10 km deep in some areas.
“They all have no equipment, only weapons in their hands… We will find the rest and destroy them in the near future,” he said.
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Ukrainian forces described fighting as ‘difficult and dynamic’, denying Russia had secured a foothold in the area. The Institute for the Study of War said it was too early to call it an operational breakthrough.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the summit. The White House confirmed that Vladimir Putin requested the meeting.
Trump’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the goal was ‘to walk away with a better understanding of how can we end this war’.
