In the days leading up to a highly anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any proposed ceasefire agreement that would grant Russia full control over the Donbass region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out any agreement that would see Kyiv surrender the remaining parts of the Donbas region in exchange for a ceasefire, warning it would only give Russia a staging ground for future attacks.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s territorial integrity could not be compromised. “If we withdraw from the Donbas today… we will clearly open a bridgehead for the Russians to prepare an offensive,” he said.
He added that any change to Ukraine’s borders would require a national referendum under the country’s constitution.
His remarks come just days before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. The two leaders are expected to discuss possible steps to end the war in Ukraine, though no official agenda has been confirmed.
Trump has previously suggested that a peace deal might involve “some swapping of territories” — a statement that sparked concern in Kyiv and across Europe.
According to reports, one of Moscow’s demands is that Ukraine relinquish control of the Donbas areas it still holds. Russia currently controls almost all of Luhansk and around 70% of Donetsk, along with Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Ukraine's President Zelensky, who will not be attending the summit despite showing willingness to do so, has warned that decisions taken without Ukraine will be “stillborn” and unworkable.
While downplaying the significance of recent Russian advances near the eastern town of Dobropillia, Zelensky accused Moscow of trying to create a perception of momentum ahead of the summit.
He also expressed frustration at being excluded from the face-to-face talks, saying that hosting the meeting on US soil was a “personal victory” for Putin. “He is coming out of isolation,” Zelensky said.
The two leader were met first time face to face in Pope Francis funeral in Vatican city on April 26, 2025.
The White House has described Friday’s session as a “listening exercise” for Trump, aiming to gauge Putin’s stance and explore potential pathways to peace. Officials have played down expectations of an immediate breakthrough.
The choice of Alaska as the venue carries symbolic weight — the state was purchased from Russia in 1867 and is geographically close to Russian territory, separated only by the Bering Strait. The summit will be held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a major US military installation in Anchorage.
While Trump has pledged to “try to get some of that [Russian-occupied] territory back for Ukraine,” he has also signaled that compromises on borders might be necessary.
Moscow, for its part, has maintained its demands for Ukrainian neutrality, limits on the size of its military, and recognition of Russian control over occupied territories.
European leaders and NATO allies have urged Trump not to agree to any deal that would allow Russia to redraw Ukraine’s borders by force. Zelensky has called any such arrangement made without Kyiv’s involvement “dead decisions.”
On Wednesday, Zelensky will join a virtual meeting with Trump, European Union leaders, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in a last push to ensure Ukraine’s voice is heard before the Alaska talks.
