Title: Zelensky Acknowledges Territorial Exchanges as Talks Topic
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that territorial exchanges are now a central topic in the ongoing negotiations with US President Donald Trump and other key Western allies during a meeting at the White House. This represents a shift from his previous stance, where he had categorically refused to discuss any concessions involving the loss of Ukrainian territory, stating that Ukraine’s Constitution prohibits such actions.
The White House meeting brought together leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland, along with NATO and the European Commission, who discussed potential territorial swaps. During the discussions, Trump described the current frontlines as ‘war lines’ and emphasized that any decisions regarding the matter must be made collaboratively between Zelensky and the Ukrainian people, along with President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky had previously refused to discuss any loss of land, as he stated that the Constitution of Ukraine does not allow the surrender of territories or the trading of land. In the aftermath of last week’s Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, Zelensky reacted to any type of territorial concession, stating, “The Constitution of Ukraine does not allow the surrender of territories or the trading of land.”
During his opening remarks at the White House, before meeting with Zelensky, the leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Finland, as well as the heads of NATO and the European Commission, Trump said the talks would address possible territorial exchanges. He described the current front lines as “the war zone, war lines that are pretty obvious – very sad to look at,” and added that any decision on the matter “can only be made by Zelensky and the people of Ukraine working together, and by President Putin.”
Zelensky followed up by thanking the American President for a map Trump had apparently used in discussions with the Ukrainian leader.
Russian President Vladimir Putin restated after the talks in Anchorage that the key to the settlement of the conflict is the elimination of its root causes. According to the Russian side, in order for lasting peace to be achieved, Ukraine should renounce its ambitions for NATO membership, demilitarize, and recognize the current territorial realities, including the status of Crimea as well as of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, which voted to become parts of Russia in 2022.