Five days before the planned Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin, aimed at ending the war, tensions are high among four key stakeholders — Russia, the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe — whose positions overlap in some areas but often conflict, especially on the Western side.

Trump has floated a plan involving territorial swaps, suggesting Russia might give up small footholds in Sumy and Kharkiv in exchange for Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of the Donbas or other occupied areas. While this might be acceptable to Putin for less strategic areas, the real sticking point is the larger territories in eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia has controlled since 2024, which Putin demands Ukraine vacate entirely.

Trump expects Zelensky to “sign something” formalizing territorial changes, but Zelensky has firmly rejected land swaps or validating Russia’s seizures, insisting instead on an immediate, unconditional ceasefire — something Trump has not prioritized. Past Trump deadlines for securing peace have repeatedly lapsed, and his current focus is on land deals rather than halting the fighting.

The clash is clear: Trump is preparing for a deal involving concessions, while Zelensky refuses to legitimize territorial loss. European positions are similarly tied to ideals rather than on-the-ground realities, while Russia holds and consolidates its gains. Sanctions have failed to shift Moscow’s stance, leaving the negotiations set against a stark imbalance of power that favors Russia.

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Andy From The Sergeant's Major Academy