On August 12, 2025, US President Trump stated on Monday, August 11th, that Ukraine and Russia must exchange parts of their territories in order to end the war. He is scheduled to meet with Russian President Putin in Alaska this Friday to “probe” the possibility of reaching an agreement.
According to Trump, the meeting will be an “exploratory meeting” to determine if Putin is willing to negotiate. He mentioned that he may be able to assess the potential for progress within two minutes. He emphasized that he will directly tell Putin, “You must end this war.”
Trump reiterated that land exchange would be part of a peace agreement, a conclusion he drew from dialogues with Russia and other parties, stating that it would benefit Ukraine. He pointed out that Russia currently controls “very high-quality land,” but “we will try to get back some of it.”
He also hinted at the possibility of a trilateral meeting in the future, involving himself, Putin, and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy. Following the meeting with Putin, Trump plans to immediately speak with European leaders to push for a ceasefire in this bloody conflict.
Regarding Zelenskiy’s attendance at the meeting on Friday, Trump said it is possible, but questioned its significance, remarking, “He has attended many meetings in the past three and a half years, and nothing has happened.” He added that ultimately, Putin and Zelenskiy would be “locked in the same room,” with himself either present or not.
Trump stressed that reaching an agreement would not be his unilateral decision, “I will not make a deal on my own, it should be an agreement reached by both sides.”
In the past, Trump has proposed a land exchange plan, but both Russia and Ukraine have been unwilling to cede territory as a condition for a peace agreement. Several European countries are concerned that making significant territorial concessions to Russia could pose future security risks.
Since the outbreak of the war in February 2022, this post-World War II Europe’s largest and most deadly conflict has resulted in a significant number of casualties and destruction. Russia initiated the war citing Ukraine’s “Western-leaning threat to Russian security,” while Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of imperial-style territorial plunder. Currently, Russia controls about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, while Ukraine only holds minimal areas within Russia’s borders.
Trump expressed hope that the meeting on Friday could lead to a breakthrough, but also acknowledged that it could yield no progress, in which case he might leave saying, “Good luck, and that’s the end.” He also openly stated his belief that Putin “once wanted the whole of Ukraine.”