Maps reveal key Ukrainian territories targeted by Vladimir Putin as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares for high-stakes talks with the Russian leader. The territorial disputes center around occupied regions where recent Russian advances threaten ceasefire negotiations ahead of Friday’s Alaska summit.
Russian forces have intensified operations in eastern Ukraine, particularly near Dobropilia in Donetsk region, altering territorial control just days before the Trump-Putin summit. This strategic maneuvering complicates proposed ceasefire agreements involving territorial swaps.
The conflict directly involves Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and U.S. President Donald Trump as mediator. European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron have endorsed Ukraine’s position against territorial concessions.
The developments focus on Ukraine’s Donbas region (Donetsk and Luhansk) and southern territories (Kherson/Zaporizhzhia). The summit occurs Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, against a backdrop of intensified fighting since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Territorial control remains Putin’s core objective, with Russia constitutionally claiming four occupied Ukrainian regions. Zelensky warns that conceding land would enable future invasions, citing Crimea’s 2014 annexation as precedent.
Practical obstacles include evacuating tens of thousands of civilians from conflict zones and Ukraine’s political resistance to ceding sovereignty. Proposed ‘swaps’ lack viable options, as Russia holds only small border buffers near Sumy/Kharkiv.
Trump initially suggested territorial compromises but now faces European pressure to include Ukraine in negotiations. Macron emphasized that ‘territorial issues cannot be negotiated without Zelensky’ after coordinating with European allies.
The Alaska summit could either freeze current frontlines or trigger U.S. sanctions against Russia’s energy partners (China/India) if talks fail. Kyiv hopes Trump will abandon negotiations quickly if Putin maintains maximalist demands.
Outcomes will determine whether Ukraine retains strategic cities like Zaporizhzhia and whether Russia uses occupied territories as springboards for further expansion. European allies have softened their stance, now considering frontline freezes previously deemed unacceptable.