Trump pledges to press Putin on returning Ukrainian territory

New Delhi, Aug 12: US President Donald Trump has said he will attempt to secure the return of some occupied Ukrainian territory when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Speaking at the White House, President Trump described the summit as a “feel-out meeting” aimed at urging Moscow to end the war, though he hinted at the possibility of “swapping” land between the two countries. “Russia’s occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They occupied prime territory. We’re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine,” he said. Donald Trump added that he would know “within two minutes” whether progress was possible. Any potential deal, he insisted, would first be discussed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “out of respect”.

The comments drew a cautious response from European leaders as reported by the media, who warned against agreements made without Kyiv’s involvement. European Commission vice-president Kaja Kallas said talks that divided territory along old spheres of influence risked sidelining Ukraine and would be unenforceable without its consent.

Ukraine President Zelensky himself said deals made without Kyiv’s participation would amount to “dead decisions” and reiterated that intelligence reports showed no sign Russia was preparing to halt its offensive.

The Alaska summit comes less than a week after Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face new US sanctions. It has led to global flurry of diplomatic activities, including planned consultations between Trump, EU leaders, and Zelensky ahead of the meeting. Western capitals remain sceptical that the Kremlin will shift its position, with Moscow maintaining that the conditions for a meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky remain “far off”.

Ukarine and EU are a little worried as before talks, Trump is trying to predict talks and its one of the result as a “land-swapping” exercise. it is likely to unsettle both Kyiv and its European allies. The notion implies concessions on Ukrainian territory, something Kyiv has consistently rejected, and risks reinforcing the Kremlin’s longstanding aim of freezing the conflict along lines favourable to Russia. While the White House insists Friday’s encounter is merely exploratory, the language points to a willingness to entertain territorial compromises in the name of ending hostilities.

For Putin, the Alaska summit offers a rare opportunity to engage with Washington on relatively equal footing, testing whether Trump is open to recalibrating the West’s stance on Ukraine. For US president Trump, the meeting carries both political risk and potential reward: brokering even a partial breakthrough could strengthen his claims to being a dealmaker, but any suggestion of rewarding Russian aggression could ignite backlash at home and abroad. The stakes are heightened by the absence, so far, of a Ukrainian seat at the table. European leaders have been quick to stress that any agreement without Kyiv’s buy-in will lack legitimacy and staying power. That tension will shadow the Alaska talks: Trump’s transactional instincts could push him toward quick, headline-grabbing compromises, while both Ukraine and its allies seek a durable settlement grounded in sovereignty and international law.

New Delhi’s Quiet Calculations

New Delhi is watching the Alaska meeting closely. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with President Zelensky on 11 August, telling him that India “remains committed to making every possible contribution” toward a peaceful resolution while further strengthening bilateral ties with Ukraine. Just days earlier, on 8 August, PM Modi held a call with Putin, reviewing the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia and reiterating India’s consistent stance in favour of dialogue and diplomacy. For India, the Trump–Putin encounter could affect more than just the battlefield map in Europe. New Delhi’s energy security is intertwined with its ability to buy discounted Russian oil, a policy that has already triggered additional US tariffs on Indian goods. Any shift in US–Russia relations that alters Moscow’s economic posture could ripple into India’s trade and energy calculus. If Ukraine’s president is indeed invited to join the Alaska talks, India will quietly hope that the outcome leans toward de-escalation, reducing pressure on global markets and creating diplomatic space for New Delhi to balance its ties with Washington, Moscow and Kyiv without being drawn into taking sides.