Territorial issues to be handled in Zelenskyy–Putin negotiations
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that territorial issues will be discussed directly between him and Vladimir Putin, according to Zelenskyy’s conversation with journalists.
After talks at the White House between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders, Zelenskyy spoke to journalists about the discussion on territorial issues.
He said the conversation was "long enough" and that it included direct work with maps prepared by both the US and Ukraine. Zelenskyy explained that parts of eastern Ukraine and Crimea had been occupied not because of heavy fighting but due to the absence of military action in those areas. He stressed that it would be misleading to suggest that large territories were lost simply because of Russia’s military strength.
According to Zelenskyy, the point was not to blame anyone but to ensure that the US president understood the real dynamics on the battlefield and the strength of Ukraine’s armed forces. He pointed out that, over the first 1,000 days of the war, less than one percent of Ukrainian territory had been occupied, despite widespread perceptions of 18–20 percent. This, he said, shifted the focus to reality and underscored the resilience of Ukraine’s military.
Zelenskyy noted that the meeting was his first chance to discuss territorial questions with Trump and his team in detail, without relying on written notes but instead drawing on a deep understanding of "every square kilometer."
He concluded that the question of territory should remain strictly between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I believe the US president heard and saw this, and that is important information," Zelenskyy said. "The territorial issue is something we will keep between me and Putin."
Preparing Zelenskyy–Putin meeting
Following the White House talks, Trump announced in a social media post that he had spoken to Putin and had begun preparations for a bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and the Kremlin leader. A trilateral summit with Trump is expected afterward.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the Zelenskyy–Putin meeting should take place within the next two weeks, though the location has not yet been determined.
The discussion comes against the backdrop of the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska on August 16, after which reports emerged of Russian demands for a possible "territorial exchange." Both Russian and US officials referenced such proposals, prompting Zelenskyy’s latest comments.
