Ukraine-Russia war latest: Defiant Zelensky ‘will not give up land’ for peace as Trump to meet Putin in Alaska

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today rejected the idea that his country would give up land to end the war with Russia after US president Donald Trump suggested a peace deal could include “some swapping of territories”.

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”.

Volodymyr Zelensky has said the meeting of security advisers from Ukraine and its partner countries in Britain was constructive, adding that Kyiv’s arguments were heard and dangers were taken into account.

The Ukrainian president said that officials from Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland took part in the meeting aiming to consolidate positions to achieve a ceasefire.

“The path to peace for Ukraine should be determined together and only together with Ukraine, this is key principle,” he said in his evening address to the Ukrainians.

European leaders have rallied in support of Ukraine after a defiant President Zelensky rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that a peace plan may involve giving up land to Russia.

President Trump, who is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska as he seeks to bring an end to the war, has said the talks could include “some swapping of territories”.

The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

Donald Trump understands symbolism and imperial delusions, so Alaska is a fitting location for his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday. The US president will know that in Putin’s eyes, Alaska ought to be Russian territory, sold in a moment of weakness by Alexander II.

Just as, in Mr Trump’s mind, Canada and Greenland ought to be part of the United States.

The theatre of the summit, then, is all set. But some of the cast will be missing. By agreeing to a meeting of just the two of them, Mr Trump appears to be convening a conspiracy to carve up Ukraine in the absence of its leader, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Emmanuel Macron said in a social media post on X that the future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians.

The French President said in a social media post on X this afternoon: “Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians, who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now.”

It comes as US president Donald Trump said he will meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.

The deal is expected to involve land concessions, which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky rejected earlier today.

“ I am grateful for the support. We exchanged views on the diplomatic situation,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X following talks with France’s President Macron

The UK is set to host key National Security Advisors, including from the US, Ukraine and European partners today.

The summit will be hosted by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US vice president JD Vance.

The meeting will take place at Chevening, the foreign secretary’s official country residence in Kent, where Vance and his family are currently staying.

The meeting appears to have been called at the request of the US.

They will discuss next steps on Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine, including how allies can support a just and lasting peace.

It comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on “decisions that can work”.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “They agreed this would be a vital forum to discuss progress towards securing a just and lasting peace.”

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke with the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb.

Zelensky says “we must act wisely and in coordination” to respond to “Russia’s intention to prolong the war and seize territorial spoils”.