'No sign' Russia preparing for end to war, Zelensky says ahead of Trump-Putin summit
Russia is preparing to launch new offensives in Ukraine and has shown "no sign" of readiness for a ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Aug. 11.
Zelensky's warning comes days ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with U.S. President Trump on Aug. 15. The leaders will meet in Alaska to discuss a possible settlement to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
"(Putin) is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire and an end to the war," Zelensky said.
"Putin is only interested in presenting the meeting with America as his personal victory and continuing to act as before, putting pressure on Ukraine as before."
Ukrainian intelligence and military officers briefed the president on Russia's ongoing military preparations, Zelensky said.
"There is no sign that the Russians have received signals to prepare for the post-war situation, at least not yet. On the contrary, they are moving their troops and forces in such a way as to launch new offensive operations. If someone is preparing for peace, they are not doing this."
While the Trump administration has touted the Aug. 15 summit as a major breakthrough in the peace process, Ukrainian and European leaders have been skeptical of peace negotiations that exclude Kyiv.
Trump himself admitted that the talks might not produce a peace deal, telling reporters on Aug. 11 that his face-to-face with Putin was a "feel-out meeting" to gauge Russia's readiness for peace.
"At the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made," Trump said.
Trump also told reporters that a potential deal would involve "some land swapping."
While the details of such a deal remain unclear, a source in Ukraine's Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that Moscow seeks Kyiv's full withdrawal from the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. In return, Russia is offering to withdraw its forces from the limited areas it holds in the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.
Zelensky has rejected ceding territory to Russia and urged a ceasefire as the first step toward peace talks, a position backed by Kyiv's European partners.
Trump said on Aug. 11 that after his meeting with Putin, Zelensky would be involved in the negotiations, either in bilateral talks with Putin or trilateral talks with the Russian president and Trump.
Trump will hold an online meeting with Zelensky and European Union leaders on Aug. 13, two days ahead of the summit with Putin.
