As Russian forces push deeper into eastern Ukraine, fears are growing in Kyiv and across Europe that the upcoming Trump-Putin summit could pressure Ukraine into making painful territorial concessions.
On Tuesday, small bands of Russian soldiers advanced near Dobropillia in Donetsk, marking one of the most significant incursions of the year. Ukraine’s military deployed reserve forces, calling the fighting “difficult” but insisting that defensive lines remain intact.
Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov called the advance “a gift to Putin and Trump” ahead of their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska — the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021.
Kyiv fears being sidelined
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders say any deal struck without Ukraine at the table risks undermining international law and Kyiv’s sovereignty.
“Substantive and productive talks about us without us will not work,” Zelenskiy told NewsNation, stressing that a ceasefire must come before territorial negotiations.
