Tensions are mounting ahead of the upcoming Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, as speculation grows that the talks could reshape Ukraine’s borders.
Russia’s ambitions in Ukraine stretch back more than a decade. In 2014, Putin ordered the swift, largely bloodless annexation of Crimea. That move ignited a separatist conflict in the eastern Donbas region, specifically in Donetsk and Luhansk, which dragged on for eight years and claimed around 14,000 lives.
Everything escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion, pushing towards Kyiv and seizing large portions of southern Ukraine, including parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Initially controlling about 27% of the country, Moscow now holds roughly 20%—but continues its slow, costly push in the east.
President Volodymyr Zelensky insists an immediate, unconditional ceasefire is essential, a stance backed by European allies. Trump has echoed calls for peace but recently shifted his language toward the idea of “territorial swaps”—alarming both Kyiv and EU leaders.
Reports suggest Putin may demand the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, including key cities like Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. For Ukraine, ceding them would mean abandoning decades of defensive investment and the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers. For Russia, it would be a symbolic and strategic victory.
The south presents another flashpoint. In Zaporizhzhia and Kherson—taken in 2022—Moscow appears willing to freeze battle lines but shows no intention of returning land. The region forms a critical land bridge to Crimea, and Putin has already declared it Russian territory following disputed referendums in 2022.
Trump has hinted vaguely about “ocean-front property,” likely referencing Ukraine’s Black Sea and Sea of Azov coastlines. But given the strategic value of these ports and shorelines, analysts doubt the Kremlin would concede any ground.
For now, talk of redrawing Ukraine’s borders is premature. Officials in Kyiv and across Europe insist such discussions can only happen once the fighting stops and Ukraine’s security is firmly guaranteed.