U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that he plans to attempt returning part of Ukraine’s territory during his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15.
“Russia has occupied a large part of Ukraine, including its main territory. We will try to return some of that territory back to Ukraine,” Trump stated at a recent press conference.
He described the upcoming talks in Alaska as initial negotiations with the goal of persuading Putin to end the war, including plans for “territorial exchanges.”
This is not the first time Trump has used the phrase “territorial exchange,” though it remains unclear what land Russia might return, especially since Kyiv has never claimed Russian territory.
Trump added that he will inform European leaders if Putin proposes a “fair deal” and intends to first speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I will call Zelensky first… after the meeting, I may say ‘good luck, continue the fight,’ or ‘we could have a deal,’” Trump explained.
Despite claiming good relations with Zelensky, Trump admitted to having “deep disagreements” with some of his actions.
The meeting date was announced last Friday, coinciding with the deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face increased U.S. sanctions.
In response, Zelensky warned that any agreement without Kyiv’s input would be a “dead decision.”
