Zelenskyy rejects Trump land swap proposal for Ukraine
NBC3 days
Report: Zelenskyy Prepared to Cede Territory for Security Guarantees
Above: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 22. Image copyright: Ukrainian Presidency Handout/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
There's no way around it. Russia and Ukraine are going to have to engage in land swaps to pull this peace deal off, and some of the ramifications will be good and bad for both Russia and Ukraine. However, a deal that's most acceptable to both sides needs to be found, and must include returning some land back to Ukraine.
Pro-establishment narrative
At these upcoming Alaska talks, Trump and Putin have the ability to take decisions that fly above Ukraine's head and the rest of the international community. That's why in the days leading up to talks, European diplomats will continue to back-channel with U.S. counterparts to ensure the Trump administration keeps Ukraine's best interests in mind.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Military and intelligence reports indicate that rather than preparing for a ceasefire, Putin is in fact preparing to launch new offensive operations into Ukrainian territory and continue the bloodshed. Putin aims to get a diplomatic score by securing a meeting with Trump but will then continue as before with the fighting. It is not to be trusted.
Pro-Russia narrative
With a meeting between Putin and Trump now confirmed, Russia's position will remain unchanged from what it has always been: that for Russia's security, Ukraine must be a neutral, non-aligned and nuclear-weapon-free country and must not deploy foreign weapons on its territory. Ukraine also needs to guarantee the rights of Russian speakers in the country while accepting Russia's sovereignty of Crimea, Donbas and Novorossiya.