Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that any peace deal reached without Kyiv’s participation would be “dead” from the outset.
Trump confirmed on Friday via Truth Social that he will meet Putin in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. The announcement drew sharp criticism from Zelenskyy, who stressed that no talks could succeed without Ukraine’s direct involvement.
“President Trump announced preparations for his meeting with Putin in Alaska – very far away from this war, which is raging on our land, against our people, and which, anyway, can’t be ended without us, without Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a video statement.
The Ukrainian leader reiterated that the country’s Constitution prohibits ceding territory and made clear there would be no concessions on land occupied by Russia. “Ukrainians will not give their land to occupiers,” he said, adding that “decisions without Ukraine” would not bring peace.
The Alaska summit will be the first direct meeting between Trump and Putin since Trump returned to office. While the White House says the talks aim to explore pathways to end the conflict, Kyiv and several European allies have warned that bypassing Ukraine risks undermining existing diplomatic frameworks.
