Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy vows to cede no land to Russia

In a joint statement issued late Saturday, a group of seven European leaders said they "welcome President Trump's work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine."

"We stand ready to support this work diplomatically as well as by upholding our substantive military and financial support to Ukraine, including through the work of the Coalition of the Willing, and by upholding and imposing restrictive measures against the Russian Federation," read a joint statement from French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Gioria Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The European leaders also said they "share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests."

"Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny," the statement said. "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.

"We underline our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity," the leaders said. "We continue to stand firmly by the side of Ukraine. We are united as Europeans and determined to jointly promote our interests."

European officials on Saturday presented their peace proposals to the United States ahead of the Ukraine war talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.

Trump on Friday alluded to a deal to end the war in Ukraine, which would involve "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both."

US newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported that a counter-proposal was presented at a meeting between US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian and European allies in England on Saturday to discuss Trump's push for peace.

According to the US paper, the European proposal includes demands that a ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken. The European plan also reportedly requires any territorial exchanges be reciprocal.

The WSJ also reported that the proposal stipulates that "any territorial concession by Kyiv must be safeguarded by ironclad security guarantees."

"You can't start a process by ceding territory in the middle of fighting," it quoted one European negotiator as saying.

Ahead of talks between US President Trump and Russian President Putin, Ukrainians weigh whether and what concessions should be made to reach a ceasefire.

Brazilian leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke with Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.

According to the Brazilian presidential palace, Putin shared information about his discussions with the United States and "recent peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine."

The leaders also discussed their cooperation in the BRICS group of emerging countries and "discussed the current international political and economic scenario," the statement added.

Lula has fostered diplomatic ties with Putin despite Russia's assault on Ukraine.  

Lula has previously claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "is as responsible for the war" in Ukraine as Putin, drawing condemnation from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.  

The conversation with Lula is the latest of a flurry of calls between Putin and foreign leaders in recent days ahead of the Russian president's expected meeting with US President Donald Trump next week.

Putin spoke to the leaders of China and India, both also part of the BRICS group of developing nations, and other presidents from Central Asia and Europe on Friday to brief them on his contacts with the United States about the war in Ukraine. 

 

French President Emmanuel Macron has stressed that Ukraine must be included in any talks on its future.

Macron's intervention comes just days before a planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

"The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians, who have been fighting for their freedom and security for more than three years now," Macron wrote on X. 

He added that Ukraine's security is also at stake and that Europeans must also be part of a solution. 

Macron had previously spoken on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he wrote.

After his call with Macron, Zelenskyy wrote on X: "Ukraine, France, and all our partners are ready to work as productively as possible for the sake of real peace."

Trump is set to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday. According to the Wall Street Journal, Putin is seeking full Russian control over the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk — demands Zelensky firmly rejects.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Ukraine's allies to take "clear steps" towards achieving a sustainable peace following calls with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday.

National security advisors from Kyiv's allies, including the United States, EU nations and the UK, were gathering in Britain on Saturday to align their views ahead of the Putin-Trump summit. 

"It is truly important that the Russians do not succeed in deceiving anyone again," Zelensky added after a call with Macron without elaborating further. 

Three rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine this year have failed to bear fruit, and it remains unclear whether a summit could bring peace any closer as the warring sides' positions are still far apart.

Russian forces likely seized about 500–550 square kilometers (roughly 200 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in July, the UK Ministry of Defence has said.

The gains match those made in June, after steady month-on-month advances since March.

Russian units made the most progress in Donetsk oblast, where they pushed northeast and southwest of Pokrovsk seeking to encircle the town and cut its supply routes.

Nearly all territory south of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region is now under Russian control.

In Sumy oblast, bordering Russia's Kursk and Belgorod regions, no significant Russian gains have been observed in the past two weeks, the ministry said.

It added that Ukrainian counterattacks and continued Russian losses have likely hindered Moscow's plan to establish a buffer zone.

Reports suggest elements of Russia's 51st Airborne Regiment have refused orders, citing heavy casualties in infantry assaults.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday he had spoken with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and that both leaders shared concerns over what he called Russia's plan "to reduce everything to discussing the impossible."

Downing Street confirmed the phone call and said the leaders looked ahead to a meeting of national security advisers from Europe, Ukraine and the United States later on Saturday, hosted by the UK foreign secretary and US vice president.

"They agreed the forum would be a vital venue to discuss progress toward securing a just and lasting peace," Downing Street said.

Both Zelenskyy and Starmer welcomed President Donald Trump's stated desire to end what Starmer called Russia's "barbaric" war, and agreed on the need to maintain pressure on President Vladimir Putin to halt the illegal invasion.

Starmer ended the call by reiterating his "unwavering support for Ukraine and its people."

The call came as Zelenskyy continued a series of conversations with Kyiv's allies following US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow and the announcement of an August 15 meeting between Trump and Putin.

A Russian drone struck a minibus in Ukraine's southern port city of Kherson, killing two people and injuring several others, the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office said.

"According to the investigation, on August 9, 2025, at around 8:30 a.m., Russian Armed Forces personnel struck a shuttle bus traveling in the suburbs of Kherson with a drone," a statement posted to Facebook said.

"Six people were injured to varying degrees," the prosecutor's office noted, adding that all the victims were inside the vehicle.

Kherson is a key gateway for exporting Ukrainian grain, sunflower oil and other agricultural products via the Dnipro River toward the Black Sea. But supplies have been severely hampered by the conflict.

Throughout the war, Russian forces have relentlessly attacked the city and wider Kherson region, including other recent drone strikes on civilian buses.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said his country deserves a "just peace" based on international law and respect for territorial integrity.

Sybiha was responding to media reports that US-Russian peace talks are considering asking Kyiv to cede control of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk to Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already said the plans are unworkable, labeling them "stillborn decisions" by the US and Russian sides.

Sybiha said: "Russia must not be rewarded for starting this war," lamenting that the Kremlin "continues its terror against civilians, ignores deadlines, and shows no genuine interest in ending the war."

He said Kyiv remains open to "meaningful dialogue and real solutions negotiated together with Ukraine."

Ukraine has so far not been invited to participate in the talks between Washington and Moscow aimed at ending the war.

In a sign that negotiations are advancing, US President Donald Trump said he planned to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska on Friday.

Zelenskyy's remarks came after US President Donald Trump had said a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine is moving forward and confirmed he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.

Trump wrote that Putin wanted to meet "as soon as possible," adding the war "could be solved very soon." He said the date was set later than planned because of necessary security arrangements. The Kremlin called the summit "quite logical" and said Trump had been invited to visit Russia afterward.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said the deal would involve "swapping of territories to the betterment of both," a position Ukraine has consistently rejected. Kyiv has refused to cede any land since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.

Trump said earlier failed talks had stalled progress but claimed his actions had prevented the conflict from escalating into a world war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the country will never cede land to Russia and that the answer to the territorial question is already set out in Ukraine’s constitution.

He said Ukrainians are defending what is theirs and that even those on Russia's side know it is committing "evil." He stressed that Ukraine would not reward Moscow for its actions, adding that the Ukrainian people deserve peace — but that all partners must understand what a "worthy peace" means.

"This war must be ended, and Russia must end it," he said, accusing Moscow of dragging out the conflict and ignoring all deadlines. "No one will retreat from this and no one can. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the country is ready for "real solutions" that can bring lasting peace, but warned that any decisions made without Ukraine are also decisions against peace.

In a message on social media, he said such agreements would be "stillborn decisions" that will never work, stressing the need for a "real, living peace" that people will respect.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to work with US President Donald Trump and all partners for a durable settlement that will not collapse because of Moscow’s actions.

He thanked Ukrainians for their unity and praised the country’s defenders for preserving independence, adding: "This is our land, we are Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine."

Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in the Russian war on Ukraine.

You join us after US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine is picking up steam. The US president is now set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.

Trump said Putin wanted to meet "as soon as possible" and claimed the war "could be solved very soon." He added that the date had to be pushed back from an earlier plan because of the security arrangements needed.

Stay tuned for the latest news and analysis from the ongoing war.