Ukraine on Edge as Trump-Putin Summit Raises Territorial Swap Fears
Tensions are soaring in Kyiv and across Europe as US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, with speculation mounting that the talks could reshape Ukraine’s borders.
Since 2014, Russia has occupied Crimea and backed separatists in the eastern Donbas region, sparking a war that cost Ukraine some 14,000 lives before Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian troops seized vast areas, including parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, but have since been pushed back to controlling about 20% of Ukraine.
Now, with the front line stalled, Trump has floated the idea of “territorial swaps” — a proposal that has rattled Ukrainian leaders.
The Donbas Flashpoint
Putin reportedly wants Ukraine to cede the remaining parts of Luhansk and Donetsk still under Ukrainian control — cities such as Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, which have been heavily fortified and fiercely defended. President Volodymyr Zelensky insists Ukraine “cannot” abandon the Donbas, warning that it would give Russia a launchpad for future attacks.
Southern Stakes: Zaporizhzhia and Kherson
In the south, Russia is said to be offering to halt its offensive if the current front lines are frozen. These areas are part of Moscow’s vital land bridge to Crimea, along the Sea of Azov and Black Sea, and were illegally annexed in 2022. Analysts doubt Putin would willingly return this “ocean-front” territory, despite Trump’s vague hints.
What Comes Next?
European allies and Kyiv are calling for an unconditional ceasefire, but Moscow appears intent on securing battlefield gains before any deal. Whether Trump’s proposal is a negotiating tactic or a concrete plan remains unclear.
For now, any talk of redrawing Ukraine’s borders is a non-starter in Kyiv. But as Russian forces push near Dobropillya and the Alaska talks loom, the stakes for Ukraine’s future — and the map of Europe — have rarely been higher.
