Ukraine’s territory

Trump "very clearly" expressed that Ukraine’s territory should only be negotiated by its leader, Macron says

From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls and Niamh Kennedy

US President Donald Trump told European leaders at a virtual meeting earlier that territorial issues related to Ukraine cannot and will not be negotiated by anyone but Ukraine’s president, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting with Trump, Macron said that “several messages came out of the exchange.”

The first message is that Trump was “very clear” about the fact that Washington wants to obtain a ceasefire during the US leader’s upcoming meeting with his Russian counterpart in Alaska.

“It’s very important that a ceasefire is obtained during this meeting in America and we support this initiative alongside a new prisoner exchange and the liberation of (Ukrainian) children,” Macron said.

The second element — which was “very clearly expressed” by Trump — was “that the territorial issue relating to Ukraine cannot and will not be negotiated by anyone but the Ukrainian president,” he continued.

The French leader’s comments came after Trump indicated last week that a ceasefire deal could include “some swapping of territories,” an idea rejected by both Russia and Ukraine.

According to US officials, Putin has offered to halt the war in Ukraine in exchange for significant territorial concessions by Kyiv, including the entire eastern Donbas region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed not to give Donbas to Russia, saying that doing so would open the door for Putin to “start a third war” in Ukraine.