“We are going to change the lines, the battle lines. Russia has occupied a large part of Ukraine. He has occupied some very important territories. We will try to recover part of that territory for Ukraine “, said Trump Monday at a press conference at the White House.
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Until before this declaration of TrumpPutin has always conditioned the end of the war to the recognition of kyiv and the international community of the territories occupied by their troops as Russians. That is, Moscow demands that from now on Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporiyia and Kherson They are officially part of Russia, something that rejects Zelensky.
But according to the American newspaper The New York Times, last week during a meeting in Moscow with Trump’s special envoy, Steve WitkoffPutin gave the impression that Russia was now willing to participate in some negotiation on the question of the Ukrainian territory.
“We are going to recover something and we will change something,” Trump said Friday after Putin’s appointment with Witkoff. “There will be some exchange of territories for the good of both.”
The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, observes while gathering with soldiers of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade separately in Kharkiv. (Photo: Handout / Presidential Press Service of Ukraine / AFP).
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Zelensky He has reacted to the possibility of a bilateral negotiation of Russia and the United States over territory of Ukraine and on Tuesday he ruled out any withdrawal from his troops from the troops from Donbás (Donetsk and Lugansk) To end war.
He argued that if this territory fell under control of Moscow, it would then serve for the Putin to launch a “future offensive” against other Ukraine sectors.
Before, Zelensky He had said that “the Ukrainians will not deliver their land to the occupant”, before mentioning that the constitution of their country prohibits that treatment.
“Any solution that goes against us, any solution that does not include Ukraine, are simultaneously solutions against peace. They will not contribute anything. They are dead solutions,” he warned.
The territories under Russian control
A Ukrainian firefighter transports a water pump to extinguish a fire in a residential building where there was a Russian drone attack in the city of Bilozerske, Donetsk region, on August 10, 2025. (Photo of Genya Savilov / AFP).
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At the moment, Russia occupies approximately 20% of the territory of Ukraine. Several of the regions that Moscow completely claims have not been 100% conquered by their troops.
In 2014 Russia annexed the Crimea Peninsulasomething that has no international recognition.
This is the situation of the other regions with Russian presence.
Lugansk. According to the self -proclaimed local authority, Russian control is total.
Donetsk. In 2022, Russia controlled approximately 52% of the territory. In 2025, this occupation increased to about 70%, although cities such as Slovyansk, Kramorsk, Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk remain under Ukrainian domain.
Kherson: In 2022 Russia came to control 99% of the territory, but after the Ukrainian advances that pocentaje fell in 2025 to 73%.
Zaporiyia. It remains partially occupied since 2022, especially key facilities such as its nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.
Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. There is Russian presence in minor areas of these branches, the product of initial advances.
Sumy. Russia captured the town of Kostiantynivka and other areas, adding hundreds of square kilometers under its control.
Ukrainian territory with the presence of Russian troops. (AFP).
You cannot negotiate without Ukraine
The international analyst Francesco Tucci He said to Commerce that much cannot be expected from the summit between Trump and Putin due to the absence of Ukrainian representatives. “It is never good to negotiate without one of the parties. Honestly, very little is expected of this meeting.”
With regard to the territories occupied by the Russians, Tucci indicated that a public pronouncement of Putin must be expected, because so far it has maintained inalienable conditions to sit down to negotiate peace, one of them is not to go back to a centimeter from the areas where their troops are, and even requires going further.
“Putin will try to negotiate as much as possible to obtain at least one strategic result. That is why we must see if he will effectively be willing to retreat in the occupation of a part of the Ukrainian territory. Clearly Crimea is out of question. What matters at this time is Donbáswhere it is very difficult for the Russian Federation to go back ”he said.
“Hopefully Trump can bring the Russian position to the Ukrainian”held.
In the scenario of an eventual failure of the summit, would Trump fulfill his threat of applying hard tariffs to Russia? Tucci does not believe it happens.
“Russia maintains its strategic ambiguity, He says he is willing to negotiate, but under his conditions; Then Russian representatives say that these conditions in part can change, but in the end nothing is progressed. That is the point. It seems that Russia wants to gain time to advance on the battlefield with a new offensive, ” Tucci said.
“Trump has never been willing to act against Russia, to be a little harder. He has always been condescending, has given him deadlines, has explored the possibility of negotiating, reacted when Russia bombed kyiv. But in the case of other international conflicts, Trump has acted immediately and with determination, as with Iran, when he sent the Spirit bombers, and attacked another state. Does not exert a strong pressure against Russia ”, The analyst explained.
He added yes Trump It is disappointed from the summit with Putinif you feel cheated, you could make some decisions.
On the management of the Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merzwho summoned several European leaders already Zelensky For a virtual meeting with Trump On Wednesday, with the purpose of bringing the American closer to the European position on war, Tucci does not believe that goal is achieved.
“Trump has his ideas. In addition, he has a fairly critical position towards the European Union, towards NATO, so he will not listen to them. It is very difficult for Merz to influence”.
The importance of occupied regions
A Russian military truck on the grounds of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, controlled by Russia in southern Ukraine on March 29, 2023. (Photo by Andrey Borodulin / AFP).
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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that the regions of Zaporiyia and Khersón They are of great economic and strategic importance to Ukraine and offer much wider access to Black Sea and al Dnieper River.
He added that Ukraine access to the Black Sea is crucial for its large export marketin particular of agricultural and mineral products. He indicated that Ukraine is also rich in essential raw materials he sells abroad.
The ISW argued that for Ukraine to maintain its access to the Dnieper River and the cushioning zone that surrounds it is of great operational importance, since the river acts as a military defense barrier.
Then, the ISW said, allow Russia to maintain control on the left bank, in Khersónit would grant a much more advantageous position to carry out offensive operations against the west shores (right) of Khersón, Nikolaev and Odesa.
He indicated that the persistent attacks of artillery and Ukrainian drones currently prevent Russian forces from accumulating engineering and bridge construction equipment to cross the Dnieper River in Kherson, but a high future fire would avoid such attacks.
About the region of Zaporiyiathe ISW remarked that until 2022 its nuclear power plant supplied approximately one fifth of the electricity that Ukraine needs.
