Today's News: Ukraine Rejects Land-for-Peace Deal Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit
President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss a peace deal for Ukraine, with Trump suggesting “swapping of territories.”
Photo: AFP
Overview
Date: August 6-9, 2025
Topic: Proposed Ukraine Peace Deal Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit
Summary: President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss a peace deal for Ukraine, with Trump suggesting “swapping of territories.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected any territorial concessions, asserting that Ukraine will not give its land to occupiers. European and Ukrainian leaders, concerned about a potential deal being imposed without their full involvement, convened meetings with U.S. officials to present a counter-proposal emphasizing a ceasefire before territorial talks and robust security guarantees for Ukraine. Significant confusion persists regarding the exact details of Russia’s proposal as conveyed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Sources
The New York Times - A Sidelined Europe Seeks a Voice as Trump and Putin Prepare to Meet
CNN - Trump-Putin summit in Alaska resembles a slow defeat for Ukraine
NBC News - Zelenskyy rejects Trump’s proposal that Ukraine could swap territories with Russia
The Washington Post - Zelensky rejects Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine cede territory to Russia
The Wall Street Journal - Ukraine and Europe Counter Putin’s Cease-Fire Proposal
Key Points
President Trump and President Putin are scheduled to hold a summit in Alaska on August 15 to discuss a resolution to the war in Ukraine.
President Trump has publicly suggested that a peace deal could involve “swapping of territories” between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unequivocally rejected any proposal that involves ceding Ukrainian territory, stating that it is against the country’s constitution.
European and Ukrainian leaders held meetings with top U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in the United Kingdom to discuss the peace proposals and ensure their perspectives are heard.
A primary concern for European and Ukrainian officials is that a peace agreement might be forged between Washington and Moscow without Ukraine’s full participation, potentially imposing terms on Kyiv.
Ukraine and its European allies insist that a ceasefire must precede any discussions on territorial changes and that any deal must be accompanied by robust security guarantees for Ukraine.
Russia’s consistent demands include recognition of its control over Crimea and the Donbas region (Luhansk and Donetsk), with potential variations on freezing battle lines in other occupied southern regions like Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times details European efforts to advise President Zelenskyy on how to maintain a good relationship with President Trump, especially after a “disastrous meeting in the Oval Office in February.” It also quotes Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna emphasizing that “Sovereignty and territorial integrity are the cornerstones of global stability.”
CNN provides an analytical perspective, suggesting the summit location (Alaska) symbolically favors Moscow and that a deal emerging from it “resembles a slow defeat for Ukraine.” It draws a historical parallel to former UK Foreign Secretary Neville Chamberlain’s failure to stand up to Nazi Germany. The article also mentions India and China’s recent phone calls with the Kremlin as a potential impetus for President Putin to agree to the meeting.
NBC News specifies that President Zelenskyy last spoke with President Trump by phone on August 6 and notes that President Trump had threatened to impose new sanctions and tariffs on Russia starting Friday, though it was unclear if they took effect.
Fox News reports on a White House spokesperson stating that President Trump remains “open to a trilateral summit” with President Putin and President Zelenskyy, but also quotes President Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov indicating Russia’s preference to focus solely on the bilateral meeting with President Trump.
The Washington Post highlights a joint statement from leaders of Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, and the European Union, which reiterated unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and stated that the “current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.” It also mentions that Russia initially proposed meeting in the UAE or Saudi Arabia and that President Putin’s travel is restricted due to an International Criminal Court warrant.
The Wall Street Journal describes the European and Ukrainian response as a “counterproposal” that explicitly demands a reciprocal exchange of territory if any is ceded by Ukraine, and stipulates potential NATO membership as part of ironclad security guarantees. It also quotes EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas stating that a “fragile cease-fire would only serve the Russians, cementing their conquests.”
Contrasting Details
Details of Russia’s Proposal: There is significant confusion and conflicting interpretation regarding the specifics of President Putin’s proposal as conveyed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The New York Times states that Europeans understand President Putin’s proposal to involve Russian control over Crimea and the entire Donbas (Luhansk and Donetsk, including territory Russia does not currently control) in exchange for a ceasefire freezing current battle lines elsewhere, but notes it remains unclear what would happen in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia—whether lines would freeze or if President Putin demands those areas too.
The Wall Street Journal reports that President Putin initially offered a ceasefire for Ukraine handing over roughly one-third of the eastern Donetsk region it controls, with front lines frozen elsewhere. However, it details a series of conflicting messages from U.S. envoy Witkoff: President Trump initially suggested Russia would withdraw from Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in exchange for full control of Donetsk, which Witkoff walked back the next day, and then later stated the only offer was for Ukraine to unilaterally withdraw from Donetsk for a ceasefire.
The Washington Post mentions that Russia proposed Kyiv relinquish the Donbas without offering anything in return, but also reports that President Putin’s suggestion to halt attacks in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson was initially understood by Americans as an offer to withdraw, which Moscow later clarified was not the case. It added that Russia then offered a “sliver of land” in Sumy and Kharkiv, which was not significant.
Inclusion of President Zelenskyy in Summit: There are differing perspectives on the possibility of a trilateral meeting.
NBC News and The Washington Post state that it’s unclear if President Zelenskyy will be involved and that he had not yet been invited to the Alaska summit.
Fox News reports that a White House spokesperson confirmed President Trump is “open to a trilateral summit,” but President Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Russia “left this option completely, without comment” and prefers to focus on the bilateral meeting with President Trump.
The Wall Street Journal explicitly states that President Zelenskyy “hasn’t been invited to Alaska.”
Impact of Trump’s Sanctions Threat: There are differing views on the effectiveness and status of President Trump’s threatened sanctions.
NBC News notes that President Trump had threatened new sanctions and tariffs against Moscow starting Friday, but by Saturday morning, it was “unclear whether those sanctions would take effect or be delayed or canceled,” and that President Trump’s ultimatums “have not prompted the Kremlin to move one inch in its war in Ukraine so far, other than to give the president a meeting.”
CNN states that a “sanctions deadline of Friday has just whizzed past, almost unnoticed.”
The Wall Street Journal explicitly states that President Trump “let lapse his self-imposed deadline for imposing stiff secondary sanctions on Russia” when he agreed to the summit. It also quotes a senior European aide regretting that President Putin “managed to avert the punitive measures scheduled by Trump.”
The Newsie Project uses AI to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US and world online news sources.
This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).