Ukraine, allies set to meet in UK ahead of Trump-Putin summit, Axios reports
Ukrainian, U.S., and European senior officials are set to meet in the U.K. ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, Axios reported on Aug. 8, citing three sources with knowledge of the plans.
Ukraine and its allies will reportedly seek a common position amid the planned meeting between Trump and Putin.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow on Aug. 6 as the White House intensifies efforts to broker a peace deal.
Trump previously announced an Aug. 8 deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine. Despite Russia's refusal to halt hostilities, Trump never imposed sanctions on Moscow.
In a conference call on Aug. 8, an in-person meeting was proposed between senior officials from Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S., Axios reported.
The U.K. meetings logistics, including who will participate, are still under discussion. A total of three calls were held following Witkoff's visit.
In an Aug. 6 call between President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump, and European leaders, some participants were under the impression that Putin was ready to give up Russia's claim to Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine, two of the sources said.
Witkoff told the call's participants that Putin will end Russia's war against Ukraine if Kyiv agrees to cede Donetsk Oblast, Luhansk Oblast, and Crimea, the two sources added.
On the contrary, in a call the next day, Witkoff said Putin was willing to freeze along the current frontlines, which include occupied territory in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, Axios reported.
For Zelensky to cede Ukrainian territory, a referendum would need to be held, an unnamed Ukrainian official noted.
Trump and Zelensky are working on an agreement "to sign something" that doesn't violate Ukraine's laws, Axios reported.
The U.S. leader has said that a potential peace deal will involve "some swapping" of territories as the U.S. intensifies efforts to broker a peace deal.
"Well you're looking at territory that's been fought over for three-and-a-half years... So we're looking at that but we're actually looking to get some back," Trump said during a press conference alongside the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Some swapping, it's complicated."
