Russia-US summit in Alaska will take place at Putin's request

Vladimir Zelensky said that Kyiv does not recognize the decision on Ukraine without the participation of Ukraine

The upcoming meeting between US and Russian Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 became possible after the Russian leader himself turned to Trump with a request for negotiations. This was announced by White House press secretary Caroline Levitt.

According to her, the parties considered several options for locations for the summit, but settled on Alaska. The meeting will take place in Anchorage, the state capital.

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Focus on Ukraine and peace negotiations

The main goal of the meeting, as the White House representative emphasized, is to develop a clearer understanding of the Russian position for achieving peace in Ukraine. Trump is determined to devote most of the negotiations specifically to the Ukrainian topic, calling on Moscow and Kyiv for direct dialogue, including humanitarian issues.

The US President also previously expressed interest in future negotiations in a trilateral format - with the participation of the United States, Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, Trump does not intend to set “red lines” on the Ukrainian issue, preferring a flexible approach, Levitt said.

When asked by reporters about possible agreements on an “ exchange of territories ,” a White House representative refused to answer, noting that this issue would be discussed directly between Trump and Putin. She also added that she does not rule out Donald Trump's visit to Russia in the future.

Ukraine opposes decisions without the participation of Kyiv

Three days before the negotiations, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops would not leave the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions remaining under their control.

“We will not leave Donbass - we cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part - our territories are illegally occupied. Donbass for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive. If we leave Donbass of our own free will or they put pressure on us, we will open a third war,” Zelensky emphasized during a conversation with reporters on Tuesday.

Earlier, Zelensky also noted that Kyiv does not recognize the decision on Ukraine at the Alaska summit. According to the President of Ukraine, the meeting between Trump and Putin can only be significant for bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. Zelensky called the very fact of this meeting a “personal victory” for Putin.

“It is impossible to talk about Ukraine without Ukraine, and no one will accept this. Therefore, the conversation may be important for their bilateral track, but they cannot accept anything about Ukraine without us. I hope that the US President understands and takes this into account,” Zelensky said at the “Youth are Here” forum. The President of Ukraine added that a trilateral meeting of the presidents of the United States, Ukraine and Russia is also planned, but its date has not yet been determined.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced provocations

Amid preparations for the summit, the Russian Ministry of Defense accused the Ukrainian authorities of preparing provocations to disrupt the negotiations. According to the department, Kyiv brought Western journalists to Chuguev, Kharkov region, to record possible attacks on civilian targets.

The Russian defense department said that immediately before the meeting, a strike could be carried out on residential areas or a hospital, in order to then shift responsibility to Russian troops and create a negative media background around the summit.
Russian authorities do not rule out similar provocations in other Ukrainian-controlled settlements.

There is no independent confirmation of these claims. Ukraine did not comment on the statements of the Russian side.

Previously, “Verstka” reported that on the eve of Trump’s negotiations with Putin, Russian troops made significant progress in the Pokrovsky direction . But the Ukrainian Armed Forces call the information about the breakthrough unreliable.

Photo: View of Anchorage. Frank K. from Anchorage, Alaska, USA/Wikipedia

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