Trump to urge Putin to return territory to Ukraine in Friday talks

US President Donald Trump announced that he will press Russian President Vladimir Putin to return some occupied Ukrainian territory during their meeting in Alaska on Friday — a location rich in symbolism as a former Russian territory that became a US state in 1959. “Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They occupied prime territory. We’re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine,” Trump said during a White House press conference. The upcoming Alaska meeting will serve as a “feel-out” session, according to Trump, aimed at encouraging Putin to end the war. ALSO REA

US President Donald Trump announced that he will press Russian President Vladimir Putin to return some occupied Ukrainian territory during their meeting in Alaska on Friday — a location rich in symbolism as a former Russian territory that became a US state in 1959. “Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They occupied prime territory. We’re going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine,” Trump said during a White House press conference. The upcoming Alaska meeting will serve as a “feel-out” session, according to Trump, aimed at encouraging Putin to end the war. ALSO READ: Trump gives Putin new deadline of ‘10 or 12 days’ to agree to Ukraine deal The president suggested he would quickly assess whether meaningful progress was possible, claiming he could gauge the situation “within two minutes” of speaking with the Russian leader. Trump also reiterated the possibility of “land-swapping” between Russia and Ukraine, though it remains unclear what territory Russia might cede. Kyiv has never sought Russian land beyond the areas currently under occupation. The Kremlin has tempered expectations for any breakthrough, with Putin recently stating that conditions for meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are still far from being met. In the lead-up to Friday’s talks, Zelensky is scheduled to join a virtual meeting on Wednesday with Trump, US Vice President JD Vance, EU leaders, and NATO chiefs. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited the group to discuss strategies for increasing pressure on Moscow ahead of the Alaska summit.