Suggests Addressing the Issue in Future Negotiations Rather Than Reaching an Immediate Conclusion
Trump: "Will Push for a Trilateral Summit as Soon as Possible"
On August 18 (local time), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated after a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House that the issue of territorial exchange with Russia should be addressed in a future trilateral summit.
President Zelensky described the meeting as "a very good conversation and the best one so far," adding, "We will discuss all sensitive issues, including territorial matters, at the head-of-state level during the trilateral summit." He also emphasized, "We are prepared for the trilateral summit."
Earlier that day, President Trump, following his summit with President Zelensky, remarked during a multilateral meeting with European leaders that Russia and Ukraine should discuss territorial exchange based on the current front lines. Territorial exchange is considered one of the most contentious points in ceasefire negotiations, alongside security guarantees for Ukraine. Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede the eastern Donbas region as a condition for signing a peace agreement.
President Zelensky's remarks indicate an intention to address the territorial issue in future negotiations rather than reaching an immediate conclusion. This also reflects an awareness of the reality that outright rejection of Russia's demands, while President Trump is pressuring for an agreement, could cause the negotiations to collapse.
He also commented on President Trump's statement that the United States would be directly involved in providing security guarantees, saying, "It is very important that the United States is sending a strong signal," and added, "We will discuss security guarantees in greater detail." When asked what he expects from the United States regarding Ukraine's security, he replied, "Everything."
President Trump stated, "(Vladimir) Putin, the President of Russia, has agreed to accept security guarantees for Ukraine," and added, "I am optimistic that we can reach an agreement that will deter future attacks on Ukraine." He also said, "We will push for a trilateral summit as soon as possible," and expressed confidence, saying, "I have a feeling that you (President Zelensky) and President Putin will be able to reach some kind of outcome."
Previously, it was reported that during the U.S.-Russia summit on August 15, an agreement was reached in which Ukraine would cede part of its territory to Russia, and in return, Russia would accept the United States and Europe providing NATO-style security guarantees to Ukraine. Following this, President Trump, in a Fox News interview, urged President Zelensky to "make a deal," thereby increasing pressure to accept Russia's demands. As a follow-up, he has expressed his intention to hold a trilateral summit including Ukraine.
In addition, President Trump emphasized his intention to pursue a "peace agreement" as advocated by President Putin, rather than the "ceasefire" demanded by Ukraine and Europe. He said, "A peace agreement is fully achievable and could be reached in the near future," and added, "I believe we can find solutions to almost all issues, including security matters, today."
However, Europe expressed concern. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated, "It is hard to imagine holding the next meeting without a ceasefire," and added, "We must work for a ceasefire and put pressure on Russia." Ukraine and Europe maintain that peace agreement discussions should begin only after an immediate ceasefire. There are concerns that Russia could continue the war indefinitely while broad peace agreement discussions are underway.
In response, President Trump said, "There was no ceasefire in the six wars I resolved," adding, "It would be good to have a ceasefire, but even if not, that's fine. We have been given many good conditions."
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