'About to be sold out': Ukraine on edge ahead of Trump-Putin meet; Zelensky warns against deals 'about Kyiv without Kyiv'

As US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin prepare to meet in Alaska on 15 August, Ukraine is bracing for decisions that could shape its future, without its direct involvement. “It’s not entirely clear what happens next,” a source in the President’s Office told the Kyiv Independent. “But it’s clear that we’re about to be a little bit sold out,” they added.

Speaking at a closed-door briefing with journalists, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed caution over the Anchorage talks. “Meaningful and productive talks about us without us won’t work,” he said. “I don’t know what they (the US and Russia) will talk about without us. Probably, they have their own bilateral track,” he added.

Russian gains ahead of negotiations

The summit comes as Russian forces advance in Donetsk Oblast, pushing towards Dobropillia, an area considered safe just a month earlier. Zelensky said the timing was deliberate. “The purpose of this advance is clear to us: by Aug. 15, to create a certain information backdrop ahead of Putin’s meeting with Trump… suggesting that Russia is moving forward and Ukraine is losing ground,” he noted. For the Ukrainian president, the meeting represents a “personal victory” for Putin, giving him the chance to “break out of isolation” on US soil and delay sanctions. “He is seeking, excuse me, photographs. He needs a photo from his meeting with President Trump,” Zelensky added.

Lawmakers warn of a political spectacle

Oleksandr Merezhko, head of Ukraine’s parliamentary committee on international policy, described the summit as potentially “a political show.” “In this case, since Trump is a non-classical president and a non-classical diplomat, his meeting at the highest level may be just for show,” he told the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine’s allies have reaffirmed their support for its territorial integrity after Trump publicly floated the idea of a “territory swap” and reports surfaced that Putin wanted a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk and Luhansk.

Ceasefire signals, but uncertainty over terms

Zelensky revealed that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from talks with Putin, indicated Russia might agree to a ceasefire. But Kyiv remains unsure about the conditions. The Ukrainian leader said there is a “high likelihood” that Putin will demand a withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk, something Trump may implicitly endorse by saying, “The Ukrainians will have to do it.”

Zelensky vows no troop withdrawal

Zelensky insisted Ukraine would keep pushing for a ceasefire, security guarantees, and direct participation in any territorial talks. He firmly rejected pulling troops out of Donetsk and Luhansk, warning it would open the door to future Russian offensives. “I haven’t heard anything, not a single proposal that would guarantee a new war won’t start tomorrow,” he said. “He (Putin) doesn’t want a sovereign Ukraine. That’s what this whole game is about.”