Zelensky said that Trump informed him of a telephone conversation with the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian president called the steps of the Russian Federation “not new.”
“The Russians really want to occupy everything. But before any ceasefire, they want an agreement on our land. But our position is first, we need a ceasefire, we need to sit down and talk about where we are. I think this is the most important step. I think the president [США] understands this. This will be the most difficult question. Unfortunately, these are Ukrainian territories,” Zelensky emphasized.
He repeated that he considered the decision on territories very difficult, calling it “extremely important” for Ukraine. “This is our land, country, this is part of our independence. This is very important for our sovereignty,” Zelensky added.
At the same time, he expressed confidence in the United States and belief that Trump wants to end the war, although it is difficult.
“In the Middle East, President [Трамп] coped with it, I think he can cope with this too,” summed up the Ukrainian president.
He agreed with Trump’s opinion that Ukraine and Russia in the war should stop at the positions where they are.
During a White House briefing, a journalist recalled Trump's statement that Ukraine is capable of returning its territoriesand asked him if he still thinks so. Trump did not answer that question directly, saying that in war you can't guess what will happen. Subsequently, in his post on the social network Truth Social, he expressed the opinion that the Russian Federation and Ukraine should stop where they are. “Let both declare victory, let history decide!” – Trump wrote.
Context
Since 2014, Russian invaders have occupied Crimea, parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, Kherson and Kharkov regions, and fighting continues in the Sumy region. Also under Russian occupation was the Kinburn Spit in the Nikolaev region.
On August 8, 2025, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin was allegedly ready to cease fire in exchange for Donbass. Later, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said that Putin, during a meeting with Trump in Alaska, allegedly made concessions in his demands for a “territory exchange” with Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Ukraine does not legally recognize not a single occupied Russian territory.
