Volodymyr Zelenskyy has taken a very firm stance on Russia as Donald Trump is set to meet with Vladimir Putin to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy has made his views clear on the possibility of giving up land to Russia to bring an end to the war.
Donald Trump has long called for the end of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia but has been visibly frustrated with his inability to get Russian leader Vladimir Putin to stop dragging his feet on resolving it.
Trump previously suggested that he would impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement in Ukraine.
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Nonetheless, the Republican president hopes a breakthrough may be on the cards as he's set to meet Putin on Friday (August 15) to talk about how to end the war.
Despite this, there are still fears that an inability to come to a resolution could see the war escalate further and spill into a global conflict.
Zelenskyy addressed the media on August 12 and reflected on the Kremlin’s desire for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the remaining parts of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region that it controls as part of a ceasefire deal.
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He insisted that Ukraine would not withdraw from its own land and said that giving this area to Russia would serve as a 'springboard' for future invasions.
Zelenskyy said: “We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part - our territories are illegally occupied.
“Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive.”
Zelenskyy had previously dismissed the idea that Ukraine would give up its own land to broker peace, despite Trump saying a peace deal could include ‘some swapping of territories’.
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In a message posted to Telegram on August 9, Zelenskyy dismissed suggestions Ukraine would give up any of its land.
The Ukrainian president said: “The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine. No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.
“Any solutions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time, solutions against peace. They will not bring anything. These are dead solutions, they will never work.”
Will Zelenskyy be at the meeting in Alaska?
While it was previously reported that Trump was 'considering' inviting Zelenskyy to Alaska for the meeting, it currently remains a Trump-Putin summit.
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When asked if the Ukrainian leader had been officially invited, a White House official said: "The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is focusing on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin."
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine, Russia, World News
Gerrard Kaonga