Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated that Ukraine cannot breach its constitution regarding territorial integrity, asserting that “Ukrainians will not give their land to occupiers”, reports RTE.
It emerged late on Saturday night that Zelensky may well be included in negotiations at the summit between President Trump and President Putin.
Reacting to US President Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was open to genuine efforts for peace.
However, he stressed that any agreements made without Ukraine’s involvement would go against peace efforts, reports RTE.
“Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace. They will achieve nothing,” he said.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, tens of thousands have died, and millions have been displaced from their homes, reports RTE.
Ahead of his meeting with Mr Trump, Mr Putin held discussions with the leaders of China and India. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has spent the early months of his presidency attempting to negotiate peace in Ukraine but has yet to make headway.
“The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Mr Trump announced on Truth Social, reports RTE.
He also stated from the White House that “there’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Ukraine and Russia, though he did not elaborate on what that would entail.
Despite three prior negotiation rounds between Russia and Ukraine, no progress has been made, and whether this summit will move peace efforts forward remains uncertain, reports RTE.
Russian shelling has led to widespread destruction across eastern and southern Ukraine and forced millions to flee.
Mr Putin has ignored repeated calls from the US, European countries, and Ukraine itself for a ceasefire, reports RTE.
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He has also declined to engage in direct talks with Mr Zelensky for now—a meeting Zelensky believes is essential to making progress toward a deal.
During recent talks in Istanbul, Russian negotiators presented firm demands, including that Ukraine withdraw from some areas it controls and cease receiving military support from Western allies, reports RTE.
The Alaska meeting would be the first time sitting presidents from the US and Russia have met since President Joe Biden and Mr Putin met in Geneva in June 2021.
Mr Trump and Mr Putin last met in person in 2019 during a G20 summit in Japan, though they have had several phone calls since January, reports RTE.
According to the Kremlin, Mr Putin briefed Chinese President Xi Jinping on “the main results of his conversation” with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who had recently visited Moscow.
The Kremlin reported that Mr Xi voiced his support for a “long-term” resolution to the war, reports RTE.
China’s Xinhua news agency quoted Mr Xi as telling Mr Putin: “China is glad to see Russia and the United States maintain contact, improve their relations, and promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.”
Since Russia began its invasion, ties between Russia and China have grown stronger in terms of politics, trade, and military cooperation, reports RTE.
Mr Putin also had a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following criticism from both nations over new US tariffs imposed due to India’s continued oil imports from Russia.
Both China and India have promoted their own peace plans for Ukraine, although neither has gained significant international support, reports RTE.
Mr Putin, who has been in power for over 25 years and previously served in the KGB, stated in June that he would be open to meeting Mr Zelensky—but only during a “final phase” of negotiations to end the conflict.
In his nightly address on Thursday, Mr Zelensky said, “it is only fair that Ukraine should be a participant in the negotiations,” reports RTE.
Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin announced that families with children will be evacuated from 19 more villages in the eastern part of the region, where Russian forces are continuing to push forward.
These villages, home to several hundred residents, are all located within about 30 kilometres of the front line, reports RTE.
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