Trump to press Putin on returning Ukrainian territory

Shafaq News — Washington

US President Donald Trump said he will press Russian President Vladimir Putin to return part of Ukraine’s "occupied" land when they meet in Alaska on Friday, the deadline he set for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire or face new US sanctions.

In a press conference on Monday, Trump said he could quickly determine whether progress was possible in the meeting, and raised the prospect of territorial changes — without specifying which areas might be affected. Kyiv, which opposes any talks without its participation, has warned such deals would be “dead decisions.”

He pledged to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders if Putin offered what he deems a “fair deal,” while criticizing Zelenskyy’s handling of the war and proposing a future three-way meeting.

The Kremlin has rejected the idea of direct talks with Zelenskyy, insisting conditions are not in place. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy, citing Ukrainian intelligence, said Russia shows no intention of ending the war it launched with its full-scale invasion in February 2022.