Ukrainian President to Meet US Counterpart Amid Peace Talks Shift

The United States President has arranged a meeting with the Ukrainian President in Washington on Monday. Prior to this, the American President abandoned efforts to push for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, while the Russian President reiterated his demand that Kyiv should cede part of its territory in peace talks.

According to anonymous sources, the American President informed the Ukrainian President and European leaders during a conversation that the Russian President hopes that Kyiv will relinquish control over the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, a long-standing demand. This statement was made after the American President concluded a highly anticipated summit with the Russian President in Alaska on Friday, which failed to provide a path to end the four-year-old war. The American President described the meeting as productive and hinted that he would inform the Ukrainian President about reaching an agreement, adding more pressure on the Ukrainian leader.

Following the Alaska summit, several senior European diplomats expressed concern about the outcome of the meeting, stating that the Russian President seemed to benefit the most. They noted that the Russian President's invitation to the U.S. was a symbolic victory, and the Russian leader had evidently persuaded the American President to shift the focus towards a comprehensive peace solution rather than seeking an immediate ceasefire.

On Saturday, France announced that European allies from the so-called "willingness coalition" (countries that have pledged support for Kyiv) would hold a video conference on Sunday. One source revealed that some European leaders might personally accompany the Ukrainian President to the meeting with the American President on Monday.

The Ukrainian President has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of ceding the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are currently only partially controlled by Moscow's forces and have not been fully occupied through military means. Sources indicated that Russia would halt its territorial claims over parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that it does not currently control, effectively freezing the front lines in these areas.

The German Chancellor expressed skepticism about the Russian leader's intentions to end the war in Ukraine. "So far, Putin has made many promises and signed many agreements. I won't easily believe him. But at least, this is the beginning of a dialogue," the Chancellor said in an interview.

It was also mentioned that the American President told European leaders that he was prepared to contribute to ensuring Ukraine's security, as long as it did not involve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Sources indicated that the President hinted that the Russian President would not object to this.

Following a conversation with the American President, the Ukrainian President reiterated Ukraine's commitment to doing everything possible to achieve peace. The American President confirmed on "Truth Social" that the Ukrainian President would visit Washington and expressed that, if all goes well, a meeting between the Russian President and the Ukrainian President could be arranged.

The American President stated in a post that his meetings with the Russian President and the Ukrainian President were "very successful." He wrote, "Everyone agrees that the best way to end the war is to reach a peace agreement, not just a ceasefire agreement."

Previously, the American President had stated that a ceasefire would be a key demand he would make of the Russian President at the summit. He also threatened to withdraw from the meeting and impose new severe penalties on Russia if this demand was not met. However, the American President hinted on Friday that he was not in a hurry to impose new penalties on Russia's trading partners.

Monday's visit to the White House will be a crucial moment for the Ukrainian President, as his relationship with the American President has been tense. During his last visit to the Oval Office in February, the two leaders had a heated argument, and the U.S. temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine, weakening the country's combat capabilities.

Since then, the American President and the Ukrainian President have met several times, including at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders' summit in The Hague and at the Vatican, and their relationship has improved.

European officials welcomed the American President's efforts during the conversation. In a statement released on Saturday, they also reiterated the need for a three-way meeting between the American President, the Russian President, and the Ukrainian President. The statement did not mention the previous demand to make an immediate ceasefire the first step in negotiations.

European leaders also stated that it would be up to Ukraine to decide on its territory. "International borders must not be changed by force," the statement, signed by the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Finland, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the President of the European Commission, said.

Some European officials expressed concern that the American President might now pressure the Ukrainian President to make territorial concessions to reach an agreement, according to anonymous sources discussing private deliberations.

The head of the European Union's foreign policy stated, "The determination of the American President to achieve a peace agreement is crucial. But the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war in the short term."

The head of the European Union's foreign policy also stated that the Russian President continued to delay negotiations and made no commitment to end the killing when leaving Anchorage.

The Kremlin stated on its website on Saturday that the Russian President told the government that his dialogue with the American President in Alaska was "very frank and meaningful." He said, "Of course, we respect the American government's position that it is necessary to end military action as soon as possible. We also hope so and hope to move towards resolving all issues peacefully."

After the Alaska summit, the American President said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that there were still some points of disagreement in his discussions with the Russian President, but he also reminded that the two had not yet reached an agreement. He shifted the focus to the Ukrainian President, stating that ending the war depended on him.

European leaders stated in a declaration, "We clearly state that Ukraine must be provided with ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. There should be no restrictions on the Ukrainian military or its cooperation with third countries. Russia has no right to veto Ukraine's path to joining the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization."

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force stated on Telegram on Saturday morning that Russia had launched 85 drones and one ballistic missile at Ukrainian territory overnight, highlighting Moscow's intention to continue advancing the war.

The Ukrainian President stated on the X platform, "We anticipate that in the coming days, the Russian military may attempt to increase pressure and strike intensity on Ukrainian positions to create a more favorable political environment for negotiations with all global parties."