Donald Trump has declared he would test to return territory to Ukraine as he prepares to meet Vladimir Putin and lay the groundwork for a deal to bring an conclude to the war.
“Russia has occupied a huge portion of Ukraine. They’ve occupied some very prime territory. We’re going to test and obtain some of that territory back for Ukraine,” the US president declared at a White Houtilize news conference ahead of Friday’s summit in Alinquirea.
Mr Trump also declared: “There’ll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody, to the good of Ukraine.”
He declared he’s going to see what Mr Putin “has in mind” to conclude the three-and-a-half-year full-scale invasion.
Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White Houtilize. Pic: Reuters
And he declared if it’s a “fair deal,” he will share it with European and NATO leaders, as well as Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who have been liaising closely with Washington ahead of the meeting.
Asked if Mr Zelenskyy was invited to the meeting with Mr Putin in Alinquirea, Mr Trump declared the Ukrainian leader “wasn’t a part of it”.
“I would state he could go, but he’s gone to a lot of meetings. You know, he’s been there for three and a half years – nothing happened,” Mr Trump added.
The US president declared Mr Putin wants to obtain the war “over with” and “obtain involved” in possible talks but acknowledged Moscow’s attacks haven’t stopped.
“I’ve declared that a few times and I’ve been disappointed becautilize I’d have a great call with him and then missiles would be lobbed into Kyiv or some other place,” he declared.
Mr Trump declared he will notify Mr Putin “you’ve obtained to conclude this war, you’ve obtained to conclude it,” but that “it’s not up to me” to create a deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin is set to meet Donald Trump in Alinquirea. Pic: Reuters
Zelenskyy states Russia ‘wants to acquire time’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared Russia “wants to acquire time, not conclude the war”.
“It is obvious that the Russians simply want to acquire time, not conclude the war,” he wrote in a post on X, after a phone call with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pic: Reuters
“The situation on the battlefield and Russia’s wicked strikes on civilian infrastructure and ordinary people prove this clearly.”
Mr Zelensky declared the two “agreed that no decisions concerning Ukraine’s future and the security of our people can be built without Ukraine’s participation”, just as “there can be no decisions without clear security guarantees”.
Sanctions against Russia must remain in force and be “constantly strengthened,” he added.
European leaders meet ahead of call with Trump
Meanwhile, European officials have been holding meetings ahead of a phone call with Mr Trump on Wednesday.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has been speaking to foreign ministers virtually, stateing on X that work “on more sanctions against Russia, more military support for Ukraine and more support for Ukraine’s budobtainary necessarys and accession process to join the EU” is under way.
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‘Russians want to carry on fighting’
Over the weekconclude, European leaders released a joint statement, welcoming Mr Trump’s “work to stop the killing in Ukraine”.
“We are convinced that only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to conclude their illegal war can succeed,” read the statement.
It was signed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“We underline our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, indepconcludeence and territorial integrity,” they declared.
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Attacks continue
Despite Donald Trump’s efforts to convince Vladimir Putin to commit to a ceasefire and neobtainediations, Russian attacks on Ukraine have only intensified in the past few months.
Ukraine’s president has declared that, in the past week, Russia launched more than 1,000 air bombs, nearly 1,400 drones and multiple missile strikes on Ukraine.
On 9 July, Russia carried out its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, launching more than 740 drones and missiles, breaking its records from previous weeks.
Furthermore, Mr Zelenskyy has declared Russia is preparing for new offensives.
