Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy maintained his country won’t surrender land after President Trump suggested a deal could include the swapping of territories.
Mr. Zelenskyy said Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done.”
“The Ukrainian people deserve peace,” he said in a video message on Telegram Saturday. “But all partners must understand what a worthy peace is. This war must be ended, and Russia must end it.”
He added, “The answer to the Ukrainian territorial issue is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will and cannot deviate from this. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
His comments come after Mr. Trump announced Friday that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska.
The president said “some swapping” of territory will be discussed to help end the war.
“You’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years. A lot of Russians have died, a lot of Ukrainians. So we’re looking at that, but we’re actually to get some back and some swapping,” he said Friday at the White House while hosting the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia at the White House to sign a peace deal.
“It’s complicated. It’s actually — nothing easy. It’s very complicated. But we’re going to get some back. And we’re going to get some switched,” he said. “There will be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both. We will be talking about that either later or tomorrow or whatever.”
Mr. Zelenskyy said, “Ukraine is ready for real solutions that can bring peace. Any solutions that are against us, any solutions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time solutions against peace. They will not bring anything. These are dead solutions; they will never work.”
Mr. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said it’s “entirely logical for our delegation to fly across the Bering Strait simply and for such an important and anticipated summit of the leaders of the two countries to be held in Alaska.”
Mr. Trump said he wanted to meet with Mr. Putin first, then have a joint meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy.
The U.S. president has ramped up efforts to end the war, something he pledged during the campaign to do on his first day in office.
Late last month, Mr. Trump gave Russia 10 days to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine or face sanctions and other penalties. That deadline expired Friday. He announced Wednesday that he would add a 25% tariff on India as a penalty for buying Russian oil.
The 10 days came after the initial 50-day window Mr. Trump gave Russia earlier this year.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.