Zelensky rejects land concessions ahead of Trump-Putin summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week appeared to reject reported terms that the Russians offered to implement a ceasefire in the ongoing war.

"Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupiers," he said in reference to the Russians, Reuters reported. The remarks followed President Donald Trump telling reporters that Ukraine would likely have to accept the concession of some of its land as part of a ceasefire agreement.

The Russians formally annexed the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk provinces in late 2022 and have since enshrined that territory as part of Russia under their constitution. The Ukrainians maintain the same position and neither side has expressed a significant willingness to give in on that point. 

All four oblasts remain contested, though Russia controls the majority of all four. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet at the end of the week in Alaska to discuss a possible resolution.