KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Saturday the deliberate summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that any peace deal excluding Kyiv would result in “dead solutions.”
The Trump-Putin assembly, scheduled for Friday in Alaska, is seen as a possible breakthrough.
Trump had beforehand agreed to satisfy with Putin even when the Russian chief wouldn’t meet with Zelenskyy, stoking fears Ukraine might be sidelined in efforts to cease the continent’s largest battle since World Conflict II.
In an announcement posted to Telegram, Zelenskyy stated Ukraine’s territorial integrity, enshrined within the structure, have to be non-negotiable and emphasised that lasting peace should embrace Ukraine’s voice on the desk.
Zelenskyy stated Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
Bearing on Ukrainian anxieties {that a} direct assembly between Putin and Trump might marginalize Kyiv and European pursuits, Zelenskyy stated: “Any decisions that are without Ukraine are at the same time decisions against peace. They will not bring anything. These are dead decisions. They will never work.”
Ukrainian officers had beforehand instructed the Related Press privately that Kyiv can be amenable to a peace deal that might de facto acknowledge Ukraine’s incapability to regain misplaced territories militarily.
The summit
Trump stated he’ll meet with Putin to focus on ending the warfare in Ukraine.
“It seems entirely logical for our delegation to fly across the Bering Strait simply, and for such an important and anticipated summit of the leaders of the two countries to be held in Alaska,” Putin’s international affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, stated Saturday in an announcement posted to the Kremlin’s information channel.
Such a summit could show pivotal in a warfare that started greater than three years in the past when Russia invaded its western neighbor and has led to tens of 1000’s of deaths, though there’s no assure it is going to cease the combating since Moscow and Kyiv stay far aside on their situations for peace.
In feedback to reporters on the White Home earlier than his submit confirming the date and place, Trump instructed that any settlement would doubtless contain “some swapping of territories,” however he gave no particulars. Analysts, together with some near the Kremlin, have instructed that Russia might supply to surrender territory it controls outdoors of the 4 areas it claims to have annexed.
Trump stated his assembly with Putin would come earlier than any sit-down dialogue involving Zelenskyy. His announcement that he deliberate to host considered one of America’s adversaries on U.S. soil broke with expectations that they’d meet in a 3rd nation. The gesture provides Putin validation after the U.S. and its allies had lengthy sought to make him a pariah over his warfare towards Ukraine.
Ultimatums and sanctions
Exasperated that Putin didn’t heed his calls to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, Trump, nearly two weeks in the past, moved up his ultimatum to impose extra sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs concentrating on international locations that purchase Russian oil if the Kremlin didn’t transfer towards a settlement.
The deadline was Friday. However the White Home didn’t reply questions that night in regards to the state of attainable sanctions after Trump introduced an upcoming assembly with Putin.
Previous to Trump saying the assembly with Putin, his efforts to strain Russia into stopping the combating had delivered no progress. The Kremlin’s greater military is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine at nice value in troops and armor whereas it relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities. Russia and Ukraine are far aside on their phrases for peace.
Russia and Ukraine commerce assaults
Two folks died and 16 have been wounded Saturday when a Russian drone hit a minibus within the suburbs of the Ukrainian metropolis of Kherson, regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin stated. Two others died after a Russian drone struck their automobile within the Zaporizhzhia area, in response to regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov.
Ukraine’s air drive stated Saturday it intercepted 16 of the 47 Russian drones launched in a single day, whereas 31 drones hit targets throughout 15 completely different areas. It additionally stated it shot down one of many two missiles Russia deployed.
In the meantime, Russia’s Protection Ministry stated its air defenses shot down 97 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Black Sea in a single day into Saturday, and 21 extra on Saturday morning.
Morton reported from London.
