Foreign media: The Trump-Putin summit is preparing to force Ukraine to cede territory?

Many European and American media have pointed out that the direct talks between the US and Russian leaders essentially involve Ukraine ceding part of its territory, thereby consolidating Russia's gains from the invasion of Ukraine. Although Trump used vague and mild words on August 8 at the White House: "Some territorial exchanges will take place for the benefit of both sides." Trump also announced on the same day that he would hold a summit with Russian President Putin on August 15 in Alaska in an attempt to end the war.

On Friday afternoon, Trump wrote on his social platform "Truth": "I, the President of the United States, and President Vladimir Putin of Russia will hold the long-awaited meeting in the great state of Alaska on next Friday, August 15, followed by more details." This announcement came after Trump sent an envoy, Vitkov, to Moscow for a three-hour meeting with Putin on the 6th, which was confirmed by the Kremlin.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, if Ukraine withdraws its armed forces from the entire Donetsk region, Putin will agree to a full ceasefire. In this case, Russia could control Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. The fate of the partially occupied Zaporozhye and Kherson regions remains unclear. U.S. negotiators are discussing whether Moscow intends to freeze the front lines or at least partially withdraw from them, which may be somewhat similar to the meaning of the term "exchange" used by Trump.

Regardless, Kyiv is under tremendous pressure to cede territory for peace, although Ukraine has consistently refused to do so, including refusing to give up Crimea, which was transferred to Ukraine during Khrushchev's era and was annexed by Russia in 2014. However, according to reports cited by Le Monde, Kyiv's stance seems to have softened in the face of the massacre caused by the war, although Zelenskyy refuses to discuss the issue before a complete ceasefire. On Saturday, Zelenskyy warned: "No decision can be made behind the back of the Ukrainian people," reiterating that his compatriots "will never cede land to the aggressor."

Another decisive issue: Can Ukraine obtain security guarantees from Europe, the United States, or NATO to prevent Russia from breaching the agreement or launching another war to seize other territories of Ukraine? However, this topic seems to be a minor one in the US-Russia negotiations.

According to a report by the New York Times, Trump told European counterparts that he might meet with Zelenskyy after his meeting with Putin. However, Trump has so far failed to change Putin's position, far from fulfilling his promise to end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House. Trump has always believed that such negotiations can only be finalized at summits by heads of state. Soon after taking office, Trump proposed a meeting with Putin, which turned into a meeting between his Secretary of State Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Riyadh without Kiev's participation. In February, Kyiv's efforts to make Trump recognize Putin's true face turned into a farce humiliating Zelenskyy at the White House.

For several months, Trump has gained nothing, while Putin has strengthened his offensive against Ukraine. Finally, Trump raised his voice, especially after the bombing of Kyiv in July, when Trump said: "I think what they (Russia) did is really disgusting." This will be the first meeting between Trump and Putin since Trump returned to the White House, and it is considered a "major victory" that Trump can hold the Trump-Putin summit on American soil. However, many believe that this is a game that Putin is playing with Trump's so-called "ultimatum," let's see, if Trump can force Ukraine to cede territory, Putin would be delighted.

Europeans, excluded from the negotiation door, are caught between suspicion and hope. On Friday, Polish Prime Minister Tusk said: "Freezing the conflict, I don't want to say ending the war, but freezing the conflict, or it may come earlier than expected."

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War is more pessimistic, arguing that Putin's ambitions go beyond seizing these territories, aiming to make Ukraine a puppet of Russia: "Putin does not want to end the war, but is truly committed to the peace process, just trying to get the United States to make concessions," the think tank wrote. "Putin still believes time is on Russia's side."

It seems that the fate of Ukraine is being manipulated by strong men? The increasingly isolated Ukrainian president refuses to be sold, how long can he continue?"

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840024487403520/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author."