Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that Kyiv will not cede any of its territory to Russia, insisting that a “dignified peace” must be achieved on Ukraine’s terms. His statement comes as global attention focuses on the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
In an official Telegram post, Zelensky asserted, “Ukrainians are defending what is theirs. Even those who side with Russia know it is committing evil. We will not reward Russia for what it has done. The Ukrainian people deserve peace. However, all partners must understand what a dignified peace means. This war must end, and Russia must end it. Russia started it and is prolongs it, ignoring all deadlines, and that is the problem.”
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine’s constitutional boundaries are non-negotiable. “The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will retreat from this, and no one will be able to. Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” he stated.
The president affirmed that Ukraine is prepared for genuine solutions that can bring peace but stressed that any agreements that exclude Ukraine are “dead decisions” that will never succeed. “We are ready, together with President Trump and all partners, to work for a real, and most importantly, lasting peace—one that will not collapse due to Moscow’s ambitions,” he said, expressing gratitude to Ukraine’s soldiers for defending the nation’s independence.
Trump announced on Saturday that his long-anticipated meeting with Putin will take place on Friday, August 15, 2025, in Alaska. This marks the first visit by a Russian head of state to the U.S. state. The date coincides with a deadline Trump had set for Putin to either agree to a peace settlement or face severe economic sanctions.
According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the summit will focus on a long-term resolution to the war in Ukraine and the exploration of economic cooperation in Alaska and the Arctic.
Putin last visited the United States in 2015 and last met with Trump in 2018. The Alaska summit will be held under the condition of Putin’s insistence that any resolution to the war must address its “root causes.” His remarks followed Russian air defenses’ claims of downing 60 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Kyiv reported that a Russian missile and drone strike killed 26 people and wounded 159 in the capital.
With tensions escalating and diplomatic stakes at their highest in years, the Alaska summit will unfold during one of the most volatile periods of the Ukraine-Russia War, with the potential to significantly alter the conflict’s trajectory.
