() As a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin draws near, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of “dragging out the war.”
“Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore must not receive any rewards or benefits. And this is not just a moral position – it is a rational one,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
Trump and Putin will meet Friday in Alaska, where the pair are slated to discuss ending Russia’s yearslong war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy could also join in the peace talks, a White House official told .
Though the official said Trump “remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders,” as of Monday, Ukraine was still on the outside looking in.
In a Sunday address, Zelenskyy vowed his country won’t let Russia “deceive” the United States, according to a translation released by his office.
“Of course, our team is working with the United States not a single day goes by without communication on how to ensure real peace,” Zelenskyy said. “We understand Russia’s intention to try to deceive America we will not allow this. I greatly value the determination with which President Trump is committed to bringing an end to the killings in this war.”
Leaders in Kyiv believe they should have a role in negotiations to determine the future of their country especially if the conversation is moving toward “territorial swaps,” as Trump has said.
Moscow’s demands for ending the war include cementing Russia’s territorial gains and preventing Ukraine from joining NATO or hosting troops from the West.
Ukraine has raised concerns that Russia will use Alaska to show face for negotiations but continue the war on the ground in an attempt to push deeper into Ukrainian territory and take more land.
Ahead of the meeting, attacks between Russia and Ukraine have not eased. The latest strikes hit Zaporizhzhia, one of the cities Russia has sought to control, with at least seven killed across Ukraine in the last day, local media reported.
A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and hurt two others in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod, the region’s governor said Monday.
‘s Anna Kutz and Libbey Dean contributed to this report.
