Zelenskyy refuses to cede territory for peace
Trump and Putin are expected to meet in Alaska next Friday behind Ukraine's back, and President Zelenskyy warned on Saturday that Ukraine would not make any concessions on territorial issues with Russia. Kyiv is concerned that Trump and Putin may reach an agreement that harms Ukraine.
The "Two-Putin Summit" has already drawn attention. First, Trump invited the Russian president, who is being pursued by the International Criminal Court, to openly set foot on American soil. Second, the summit aims to discuss ending the war in Ukraine but excludes Ukrainian President Zelenskyy from participation. Finally, Trump hinted that Ukraine might need to give up some land.
Zelenskyy warned via social media on Saturday, saying, "All decisions made behind our backs, all decisions made without Ukraine's involvement, are all decisions against peace." He emphasized, "Ukraine will never hand over its land to the aggressor."
It is known that Putin's so-called peace conditions include: Ukraine abandoning the four eastern regions occupied by Russian forces, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson; permanently abandoning the Crimea annexed in 2014; giving up joining NATO, demilitarization, etc.
Kyiv has clearly rejected Russia's "extortion," and Ukraine's peace conditions are that Russian troops withdraw unconditionally from its territory; security in eastern Ukraine will be guaranteed; Western countries continue to deliver military supplies to Ukraine; EU countries deploy peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.
After a call with Zelenskyy on Saturday, French President Macron warned, "The future of Ukraine is decided by Ukrainians themselves," adding, "Europeans must also be involved in the solution because the Ukraine issue involves European security."
Trump said on Friday that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine may include "some kind of territorial exchange," but he did not reveal more details.
The New York Times reported and analyzed that this seems to indicate that the United States may join Russia in trying to force Ukraine to cede part of its territory.
According to a report by the Financial Times, the three Baltic states strongly oppose the current "peace version" proposed by Putin to Trump, and their leaders condemned any act of forcing Ukraine to give up territory. They warned that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia could be the next target of Putin's ambitions.
Estonian Foreign Minister Kaskna said, "If borders can be changed by force, no one will feel safe. Sovereignty and territorial integrity are the cornerstone of global stability."
The last time Trump met Putin was during the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan in 2019, while Putin has not set foot on American soil since 2015.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840024749838348/
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