Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stressed he will make no territorial concessions to Russia ahead of a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on the future of the war in Ukraine next week.
Trump earlier signalled Ukraine may have to cede territory to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Saturday that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”, and reiterated that Ukraine must be involved in any solution for peace.
His comments came ahead of a meeting of security officials from Europe, Ukraine and the US, hosted by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Vice-President JD Vance.
The meeting is understood to be taking place at Chevening, Lammy’s official country residence in Kent, where Mr Vance and his family are currently staying, and to have been called at the request of the US.
Earlier on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a call with Zelensky in which he said they agreed the meeting would be a “vital forum to discuss progress towards securing a just and lasting peace”.
Trump and Putin are set to meet in Alaska on 15 August to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine.
Speaking on a potential deal to end the war, Trump said on Friday that there “will be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both”.
“You’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died,” the US president said.
Sacrificing land for peace has been the Trump position all along. Zelensky has always made clear that is unacceptable under Ukraine’s constitution and would only reward Russia for starting the war.
While Ukraine’s president has been careful not to criticise Trump, his post on social media makes clear that he will not accept it.
Zelensky on Saturday said that Ukraine is ready for “real solutions that can bring peace” but underlined that Ukraine needed to be involved.
“Any solutions that are against us, any solutions that are without Ukraine, are simultaneously solutions against peace,” he said.
“We are ready, together with President Trump, together with all partners, to work for a real, and most importantly, lasting peace – a peace that will not collapse because of Moscow’s wishes.”
This is what Ukraine, and many European allies, were always worried about – Trump and Putin trying to do a deal without Ukraine present.
Trump’s words on Russia may have hardened in recent months, but for Ukraine they have yet to be followed by tangible actions.
The US president’s deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face more sanctions has passed without any apparent consequences.
The BBC’s US partner CBS News, citing a senior White House official, reported that it remains possible Zelensky, could end up being involved in the meeting between Putin and Trump some way, as planning for the Friday meeting is still fluid.
On the ground there is a resignation that any initial peace talks may not include Ukraine.
Among soldiers and civilians the BBC spoke to there is a strong desire for peace. There is exhaustion from the constant fighting and Russian drone and missile attacks.
But there is little evidence that Ukraine is willing to accept a peace at any price – much less one that will be forced on it without its voice being heard.
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