US President Donald Trump has indicated that any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia would involve the exchange of territories, describing the potential swaps as being 'to the betterment of both'. Speaking ahead of planned talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump did not provide specific details on which areas might be involved. Kyiv has not yet commented on the proposal.
Trump announced that he and Putin will meet next Friday in Alaska, a location confirmed by Russian state media Tass, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The US president made the announcement on his Truth Social platform. Putin had previously stated he was not ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, despite a proposal for a three-way meeting by US envoy Steve Witkoff, saying certain conditions must be created first.
Ushakov also indicated that another summit with Trump could be held in Moscow, adding that an invitation had already been extended. The White House has not yet responded to these remarks. Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggested that a 'freeze' in the conflict could be imminent, following discussions with Zelenskyy, who has been in contact with Trump and European leaders.
Zelenskyy said on Friday that Ukraine remains in 'constant communication with the American side' as a Russian ceasefire deadline passed. He reported that no orders to stop had been given to the Russian army, with over 100 drone strikes and other attacks on Ukraine that day. He stressed that allies are united in the belief that a ceasefire is achievable with sufficient pressure on Russia.
In other news, Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity last year, was buried in Kyiv. She was 27 and had been reporting on Russia's policy of extrajudicial detention and torture in occupied Ukraine before being detained herself. Her body was returned earlier this year with some internal organs missing.
