On the eve of the summit between US President Donald Trump and his counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska, diplomatic circles are discussing softening the position of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, writes The Telegraph, quoted by Focus.
According to the publication, citing European sources, Kiev is ready to consider the option of stopping hostilities with the de facto recognition of Russian control over the already captured territories in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson regions and Crimea.
A similar scenario, supported by some European capitals, involves freezing the front line and providing security guarantees to Ukraine, including weapons supplies and the prospect of joining NATO. At the same time, Zelensky emphasizes: No agreements should provide for additional territorial concessions.
European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Donald Tusk and Friedrich Merz, have previously declared the inadmissibility of changing internationally recognized borders by force. They plan to meet with Trump as early as Wednesday to present their arguments before his meetings with Putin.
Trump himself said that at the summit with the Russian president, he would try to achieve a partial return of Ukrainian lands. However, he criticized Kiev's position on the need for constitutional approval of any territorial changes.
NATO emphasizes that the de facto ''occupation'' of territories cannot be recognized legally. Ukrainian authorities remind that Russia continues to transfer troops and prepare for new offensives, so it is premature to talk about the Kremlin's readiness to end the war.
Today, Russia controls about 20% of the territory of Ukraine within the 1991 borders. Ukraine's international partners, including Britain and Canada, call for avoiding imposing any decisions on Kiev, emphasizing that a peace agreement should be reached with the participation of Ukraine itself, and not behind its back.
Trump-Putin Summit
The summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, scheduled for August 15, will be the first meeting between the presidents of the United States and Russia on American soil since 1988. The event will take place against the backdrop of active discussions about a possible end to the war in Ukraine. Trump has repeatedly hinted at the option of a "territory swap" as a condition for peace, which has caused concern in Kiev and European capitals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not officially participate in the talks, but Trump said he would brief other leaders on their results. European countries, including France, Germany, Poland, Britain, Italy and Finland, stressed in a joint statement that no peace agreements can be reached without Ukraine's participation.