President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a stunning change to his position on Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, Zelensky has reportedly expressed openness to ceding some Russian-occupied territory in exchange for peace.
The scale of Zelensky’s change of heart cannot be underestimated. As recently as Saturday morning, he declared “The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine. No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.” This rhetoric aligns firmly with Ukraine’s official policy since the March 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea and undergirded Zelensky’s ten-point peace plan.
Why has Zelensky suddenly changed tack? It could be a last-ditch effort to be included in the Alaska summit. While Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a trilateral meeting during his visit to Moscow and Putin aide Yury Ushakov did not categorically rule out the idea, the Trump administration has operated on the assumption that he would be excluded from proceedings.
Zelensky’s change of position could give him a seat at the table in negotiations that will discuss territorial swaps in Ukraine. It would also showcase his autonomy from the recommendations of European leaders, who have urged Ukraine not to cede territory, and ensure that Europe’s exclusion from a US-led peace process will not lead to Ukraine’s marginalisation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a stunning change to his position on Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, Zelensky has reportedly expressed openness to ceding some Russian-occupied territory in exchange for peace.
The scale of Zelensky’s change of heart cannot be underestimated. As recently as Saturday morning, he declared “The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine. No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.” This rhetoric aligns firmly with Ukraine’s official policy since the March 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea and undergirded Zelensky’s ten-point peace plan.
Why has Zelensky suddenly changed tack? It could be a last-ditch effort to be included in the Alaska summit. While Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a trilateral meeting during his visit to Moscow and Putin aide Yury Ushakov did not categorically rule out the idea, the Trump administration has operated on the assumption that he would be excluded from proceedings.
Zelensky’s change of position could give him a seat at the table in negotiations that will discuss territorial swaps in Ukraine. It would also showcase his autonomy from the recommendations of European leaders, who have urged Ukraine not to cede territory, and ensure that Europe’s exclusion from a US-led peace process will not lead to Ukraine’s marginalisation.