On the specifics of plans for a ceasefire and end to the war, Trump reiterated that a degree of “land swapping” would be involved. He said he would try to get some occupied territory handed back to Ukraine, noting Russia had occupied “largely waterfront property” along the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
“That’s always the most valuable property,” Trump said. “There’ll be some land swapping going on … for the good of Ukraine. Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also, some bad stuff – for both. There’s good, and there’s bad.”
The US president also criticised Zelensky for saying that any such arrangement would need to secure approval from the Ukrainian parliament, as the country’s territorial integrity is enshrined in its Constitution.
“I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelensky said, ‘I have to get constitutional approval’,” Trump said. “He’s got approval to go into war and kill everybody, but he needs approval to do a land swap.”
Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia under Barack Obama and a prominent critic of Trump on Ukraine policy, said those comments did not inspire confidence in Trump’s ability to successfully mediate the dispute.
Trump’s remarks will be closely scrutinised in Europe as indicative of the president’s thinking going into the crucial meeting with Putin. In the past 72 hours, European leaders stressed any outcome must involve Ukraine, respect its sovereignty and protect its security interests, along with those of Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his country are fighting for survival three years into the war, with Russia grinding out gains.Credit: Getty Images
Zelensky said he had spoken to several world leaders in the past day, including Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had agreed “no decisions concerning Ukraine’s future and the security of our people can be made without Ukraine’s participation”.
Early on Tuesday AEST, Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer jointly welcomed Trump’s efforts to bring peace, but said it “must be built with Ukraine – not imposed upon it”.
“Both leaders underscored that Ukraine’s future must be one of freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in comments released after Trump spoke.
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In a statement on X, Zelensky cited a report from his intelligence units on Putin’s next move. “He is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war,” the Ukrainian president said. “Putin is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before.”
Since returning to office in January, Trump has oscillated on the Russia-Ukraine war. Initially trumpeting his friendly relationship with Putin and humiliating Zelensky in an excruciating Oval Office visit, he has become suspicious of Putin’s desire to end the war, speculating the Russian president might be “tapping me along”.
But Trump has also been reluctant to apply significant pressure to Putin, allowing numerous deadlines for progress to pass, and resisting a sanctions bill drafted in the US Senate with bipartisan support.
The Republican senator who spearheaded that bill, staunch Ukraine supporter Lindsey Graham, said he was confident that Trump would meet Putin “from a position of strength”, and seek to end the war “honourably” while looking out for Ukrainian and European interests.
The meeting on Friday (Saturday AEST) will be the first time a US president has met with Putin since Biden in Geneva in June 2021.
Trump said ultimately it was not up to him to make a deal between Russia and Ukraine, and left the door open to walking away from the situation altogether.
“I may leave and say good luck and that’ll be the end,” he said. “I may say, ‘This is not going to be settled’.”