**Trump to Meet European Leaders and Zelensky Before Putin Summit**
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to hold talks with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 13, a day before his highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The meetings are seen as an attempt by Washington to broker a potential resolution to the war in Ukraine.
The summit comes at a critical time for Ukraine, which has been locked in conflict with Russia since last year’s invasion. Moscow has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, instead intensifying drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian territory throughout the summer. The situation remains highly volatile, with both sides dug in on their positions.
**Zelensky’s Role Uncertain**
Ukrainian President Zelensky is set to hold online talks with key European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ahead of Trump’s meeting with Putin. However, the status of Zelensky’s participation in the summit itself remains uncertain. This has raised concerns among both Ukrainians and Europeans that Washington and Moscow may be looking to sideline Kyiv from the peace process.
The Ukrainian Presidential Office has confirmed that Russia is seeking a deal that would require Ukraine to withdraw its forces from partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the east, while offering to withdraw Russian forces from limited areas in the northeastern regions of Sumy and Kharkiv. This proposal has been met with skepticism by Kyiv, which has rejected ceding territory to Russia.
**Trump’s Proposal**
Meanwhile, Trump has reportedly told Ukraine and European leaders that Russia is open to negotiations if “land swaps” are part of the deal. The exact nature of such a deal remains unclear, but it appears to be based on a proposal by Moscow that would see Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for Russian withdrawal from limited areas in Sumy and Kharkiv.
Publicly, Putin has demanded a ban on Ukraine’s NATO membership as well as a full Ukrainian withdrawal from the four eastern and southern regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. This is seen as an attempt to undermine Kyiv’s sovereignty and secure Russian interests in the region.
**The Way Forward**
As tensions continue to escalate on the ground, it remains unclear what outcome can be expected from the summit between Trump, Putin, and European leaders. One thing is certain: any deal that excludes Ukraine will not be acceptable to the Ukrainian people or its international partners.
