Axios: Ukraine, US and European countries to gather in Britain ahead of Putin-Trump meeting

Senior officials from the United States, Ukraine, and a number of European countries are planning to meet in the United Kingdom on August 9-10 to reach common ground before the announced meeting between the US president and Russia's dictator. Three people with knowledge of the plans told Axios .

It is noted that the idea of such a meeting arose on August 8 during a conference call between representatives of the United States, Ukraine and Europe. This is the third such call in the last few days. Representatives of the countries are concerned that Donald Trump may agree to the proposals of Vladimir Putin to end the war without taking into account their positions.

The logistics of the meeting and its participants are still being discussed.

on July 6, Trump held a conference call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders. According to two interlocutors, US Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff, , who met with Putin last week, informed the participants of the dialogue about the Russian dictator's demands.

He said he would agree to end the war if Ukraine ceded Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as Crimea. Some of the participants in the dialogue had the impression that Putin was ready to give up his claim to Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the interlocutors said .

However, the next day, Vitkoff held another conference, at which he said that Putin agreed to "freeze" the current positions of his army in these two territories.

It is noted that Ukrainian officials are confused about the details of the Russian proposal and the US position. A Ukrainian official said that even if Zelenskyy agrees to these demands, he would have to hold a referendum on ceding territory, as required by the Constitution .

• on August 8, the WSJ reported that Putin may offer Trump to secure some of the occupied territories in exchange for the withdrawal of his troops from other parts of the country. It is expected that Ukraine will not agree to this, which will play into Putin's hands to make Kyiv look like a "war-dragger." Trump may cut off aid.
• On August 9, Trump said that had agreed to meet with Putin in Alaska on August 15. He confirmed that the U.S. is considering a "territory swap" between Ukraine and Russia as part of this process "for the benefit of both sides.".
• President Zelensky said that Ukraine will not give its land to the occupier and the answer to the Ukrainian territorial issue is already in the Constitution of Ukraine.