WASHINGTON/KYIV/BRUSSELS. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that both Ukraine and Russia will need to give up some territory to end the war, adding that his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will quickly reveal if the Kremlin is willing to negotiate.
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plan to speak with Trump before his Friday summit with Putin in Alaska, amid concerns that Washington could push for peace terms unfavorable to Ukraine.
Trump has recently taken a tougher stance on Moscow by approving additional U.S. weapons for Kyiv and threatening tariffs on buyers of Russian oil. However, European governments fear he may still push a deal that requires significant concessions from Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed the need for “transatlantic unity, support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia” to end the conflict and deter future aggression. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also agreed that any peace must be built with Ukraine, not imposed on it.
At a White House press conference, Trump said his meeting with Putin would be “a feel-out meeting” and that he would know “probably in the first two minutes” if progress was possible. He reiterated that there could be “some land swapping” as part of a settlement, acknowledging Russia’s control over “very prime territory” while expressing hope of regaining some of it for Ukraine.
Neither Kyiv nor Moscow has so far accepted territorial concessions as part of any deal. Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that an unconditional ceasefire is essential before substantive negotiations can take place.
Kallas warned against any concessions to Moscow without a full ceasefire monitored by strong security guarantees. She also confirmed that the EU is working on a 19th package of sanctions against Russia, as well as increased military and budgetary support for Ukraine.
Zelenskiy rejected the idea of rewarding Russia, saying Moscow is preparing for new offensives and should remain under heavy sanctions until Ukraine secures lasting security guarantees. “Concessions do not persuade a killer,” he wrote on X.
The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has become the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. In the lead-up to Trump’s meeting with Putin, Zelenskiy has been seeking global support, speaking with leaders from India and Saudi Arabia. Putin has also been in contact with leaders from China, India, Brazil, and former Soviet states.
Germany will host a virtual meeting of European leaders on Wednesday to coordinate pressure on Russia ahead of a scheduled call with Trump.
The Trump administration has not disclosed details of any potential territorial exchanges or enforcement mechanisms. Earlier this year, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, retired U.S. Army General Keith Kellogg, proposed a NATO-led “resiliency force” to secure frontlines, a demilitarized zone in eastern Ukraine, and a guarantee that Ukraine would not join NATO — meeting one of Putin’s long-standing demands.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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