Through his platform, Truth Social, Donald Trump called on Ukraine to accept giving up the territories that Russia has captured. He warned that if Ukraine refuses, it will continue to lose even more land as the war intensifies.
Trump made this statement in response to a post by a user on Truth Social suggesting that Ukraine should hand over the territories that are currently under Russian control.The message Trump shared read, “Ukraine must be prepared to lose some of its territory to Russia, because the longer the war continues, the more land they will lose!” This statement sparked further debate on what a peace agreement between the two countries could look like.
Before Trump reposted this message, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also weighed in on the matter. He stated that both Ukraine and Russia need to make concessions in order to reach a lasting peace agreement. Rubio emphasized that no meaningful agreement can happen unless each side is willing to give something up. According to him, “You can’t have a peace agreement between two warring sides unless each side agrees to give up something. If one side gets everything, that’s not peace that’s surrender.”
Rubio also highlighted some of the unresolved issues following the recent summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. These include where the final borders between Ukraine and Russia will be drawn, questions about long-term security guarantees, and what kind of military alliances Ukraine can form with other nations.
Rubio stressed that decisions about Ukraine’s territory ultimately belong to Ukraine itself, as it is a sovereign nation. He argued that any agreement to cede land must come voluntarily from Ukraine.
The summit between Trump and Putin was a closed-door meeting that lasted three hours. Following the discussion, Trump stated that the two leaders had reached an “understanding,” though the specific details of the agreement were not made public.
It is expected that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss the proposals that came out of Trump’s meeting with Putin. These discussions are also expected to include key NATO and European leaders to support the peace talks and help the two countries reach a mutual agreement.
Among those scheduled to attend the Washington meeting are French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
This upcoming meeting is seen as a significant step toward resolving the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, a conflict that has lasted for years, claimed many lives, and caused major global challenges, including economic instability and rising living costs.