Topics: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, World News, Politics, US News, Russia, Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a warning as Donald Trump plans to meet Vladimir Putin face-to-face for the first time since 2019 next week.
Trump insisted prior to being elected as the 47th POTUS that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within his first 24 hours back in the White House.
But ending the war in Eastern Europe has proven a difficult task for the Republican president, with Russia and Putin not playing ball.
However, Trump hopes he has now made a breakthrough with the president set to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday (August 15) to discuss brining an end to the war.
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"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump has previously suggested a peace deal would include some 'swapping' of territories - something Kyiv has continued to voice opposition against.
CBS News is reporting the White House is trying to convince leaders in Europe to accept a deal that would see Ukraine give territory in the regions of Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to Russia.
The deal would also see Russia keep control of Crimea, which they illegally annexed in 2014.
CBS states the deal on the table by the White House would see Russia give up the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Putin's forces has some military control.
In a message posted to Telegram on Saturday (August 9), Zelenskyy dismissed suggestion Ukraine would give up any of its land.
"The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine," the Ukrainian president said. "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."
Trump and Putin's meeting comes as the president's deadline for the Kremlin to make peace with Ukraine arrived on Friday (August 8).
Nearly a fortnight ago, Trump suggested 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.
Time will tell to see what comes of the meeting in the coming days.
