Trump doesn't have enough leverage to stop Russia, Ukrainian soldiers say ahead of Alaska talks

Editor’s Note: Some of the service members interviewed for this story are introduced by callsign or first name only due to security reasons.

As U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin prepare for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers remain skeptical the meeting will yield any productive outcome, noting that Russian forces have ramped up their offensive on the ground.

"I believe these negotiations will lead nowhere," Artem Fysun, a soldier with the Peaky Blinders drone unit, told the Kyiv Independent.

"It's unlikely that Putin, Trump, and even Zelensky will be able to agree on stopping the war because I see that on the front line, Putin is not stopping.”

The U.S. and Russian leaders are set to meet in Alaska on Aug. 15, with Trump saying the talks could involve some "swapping" of territories between Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv wasn’t invited to the meeting.

A source in the Ukrainian President's Office told the Kyiv Independent that Putin proposed Kyiv pull its forces out of the Ukrainian-held areas of partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

In return, Russia would pull its forces out of parts of Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts in the northeast. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has not been invited to the Alaska summit, has rejected any proposal that would involve handing parts of Ukraine’s territory over to Russian occupation.

Meanwhile, leading up to the Alaska talks, Russian forces have ramped up their offensive in Ukraine’s east, making a rapid 10-kilometer advance near the city of Dobropillia in a development that could undermine Ukraine’s entire defense in Donetsk Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent asked Ukrainian soldiers what they think about the upcoming Trump-Putin talks and the idea of "land swapping."

'Foucault,'

66th Prince Mstyslav Khorobyi Brigade

"Judging by the situation on the front line, Russia is steadily increasing its capabilities. The number of assault operations remains consistently high, and the situation near Dobropillia (Donetsk Oblast) highlights significant problems in our defense.

It seems that Trump does not have enough leverage to stop Russia, at least under the conditions that have been made public."

Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych,

former chief of staff of Ukraine's Azov Brigade

"I don't think any of this will be decided without the president of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. So it will be interesting to see whether this meeting even takes place. Still, we must remember that Putin is an officially recognized international criminal, so I'm genuinely curious how the United States will later justify itself. In general, these negotiations mean nothing."

Vadym,

1st Separate Assault Regiment

"My opinion is that we just need to keep going. There are no other options. And if this (war) is frozen, it will just come back even stronger. If it gets frozen, it will only show us that dealing with Europe, America, or anyone who might let it happen is pointless — they can't promise us any security, and nothing comes of them. But let's hope that doesn't happen.

We will keep fighting until they (Russians) are gone. From what I can see, they also have problems with their economy, inflation, etc., and the ruble is falling. Their big business, metallurgy, is falling apart. So we need to keep pushing. Not everyone is ready to part with Russia as a player, especially on the economic front.

(Ukraine holds) only small pieces (of land) in Donetsk Oblast. If we trade them for Kherson Oblast, all the way to Crimea, or Zaporizhzhia, it would be a reasonable exchange. But that’s only when considering we're negotiating with people you can negotiate with.

We know these (Russians) are bastards, and they'll give us Kherson Oblast just to take it back in a few years. Honestly, I don't want that. I lean more toward a tougher mobilization.

We can still endure this (war) for a long time and keep fighting. We need some fresh energy, something to inspire people again. If we can hold out for another year, the enemy will face severe economic losses and problems. They simply won't be able to function as an organization in the global system — they'll be destroyed."

Artem Fysun,

Peaky Blinders drone unit

"I believe these negotiations will lead nowhere. It's unlikely that Putin, Trump, and even Zelensky will be able to agree on stopping the war because I see that on the front line, Putin is not stopping.

He says one thing but does something entirely different. Based on that, this will continue. If they agree on certain concessions and halting shelling, then it will become clear whether those agreements work or not.

Right now, we see heavy and massive use of infantry, which we must stop and use every means possible to halt their advance on our land. They will try to negotiate in any case. But now we can already see groups of Russians, the supporters of the ‘Russian world,’ becoming more active across Europe, in the U.S., and everywhere, and they are not going to stop. My point of view comes from what is happening not only on the front line, but also if we look at Europe."

Petro Shuklinov,

journalist and soldier

"The commander-in-chief said, ‘We will not leave Donbas, it is our land.’ I fully support this position. The main point is this: we will fight for as long as it takes and will not give up anything that is ours.

As for compromises — of course, they are always possible. But not only we, the whole of Europe is interested in ensuring that the Russian war against Ukraine ends with a just outcome: with the aggressor — Russia — punished, reparations paid to Ukrainians, and security guarantees for the victim of the attack — Ukraine.

What must also be understood is that sooner or later, all wars end. But the Russian war against Ukraine is not about some piece of territory — it is about the right to exist. Behind the smokescreen of dozens of Russian demands lies one main goal: they want us gone.

That is why, for us, this existential war will continue as long as Russia exists. The Ukrainian army is ready to keep fighting.

The Ukrainian army is ready to protect its people."