Diplomatic Meeting to Discuss Trump-Putin Summit
Key officials from the United States, Ukraine, and several European nations are scheduled to meet this weekend in the United Kingdom to coordinate their positions before the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
This was reported by Axios, citing three informed sources.
According to these sources, the idea for an in-person meeting in the UK arose during a video conference among American, Ukrainian, and European officials on Friday, August 8.
Ukraine and some of its NATO allies are concerned that Trump may agree to Putin's terms without considering their stances.
On Wednesday, Trump held a conference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders to update them on the outcome of his special envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Putin.
According to the publication, Witkoff informed participants that Putin is willing to end the war if Ukraine agrees to cede the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as Crimea.
Sources indicate that at least some participants in the call concluded that Putin is also willing to drop claims to partially occupied territories in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. However, the following day, during another video conference with Ukrainian and European officials, Witkoff clarified that Putin agreed only to freeze Russia's current positions in those areas.
Ukrainian officials say they do not fully understand the details of the Russian proposal and the US position.
One Ukrainian representative told Axios that even if Zelensky agrees to Putin's demands, he would be required to call for a referendum, as under the Ukrainian Constitution, he cannot cede territories.
