US President Donald Trump has suggested that any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia would involve a swap of territories, describing the exchanges as being “to the betterment of both”. Speaking without offering further details, Trump said: “We’re gonna get some [territory] back. We’re gonna get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories.” Kyiv did not immediately comment on the remarks.
Trump also announced that he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska, posting the location on his Truth Social platform. Russian state news agency Tass confirmed the date and location, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. Ushakov added that another summit with Trump could be held in Moscow and said an invitation had already been extended. The White House has not yet commented.
Earlier, Putin stated he was not ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, despite a proposal for a three-way meeting from US envoy Steve Witkoff. “I have nothing against it in general, it is possible, but certain conditions must be created for this,” Putin said, adding that conditions were still far from being met.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggested a “freeze” in the conflict could be imminent after speaking with Zelenskyy, who has been in contact with Trump and European leaders. “There are certain signals that perhaps a freeze in the conflict is closer than it is further away,” Tusk said during a news conference. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy reported that no ceasefire orders had been given to the Russian army, with Ukraine enduring over 100 drone strikes and other attacks on the day a Russian ceasefire deadline passed.
In a separate development, Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity last year at age 27, was buried in Kyiv. She had been documenting 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.
