Moscow has rejected suggestions of a possible “swapping of territories” between Russia and Ukraine, stressing that the structure of the Russian Federation is defined by its constitution.
The response came after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that a peace deal to end the ongoing war might involve territorial exchanges.
Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, August 15, for high-stakes talks aimed at securing a settlement to the 29-month conflict. Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine’s eastern territory, while Ukraine holds no Russian land.
The question of territorial control is expected to dominate discussions.
At a press briefing in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexei Fadeev said there was no need to “invent anything territorial,” citing constitutional provisions that cement Russia’s federal structure.
He emphasized that Putin’s delegation to the Alaska talks is guided solely by national interests.
Kyiv maintains a similar position, with Ukrainian law prohibiting the surrender of any national territory—including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014—regardless of battlefield realities.
Trump’s comments, made in response to a question on whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would have to give up land, suggested there could be mutually beneficial exchanges of territory.
He added that the matter would be discussed in the coming days.
The war shows no sign of easing, with Russian forces pushing to expand their hold over eastern Ukraine in the run-up to the Alaska meeting, a move analysts say could strengthen Putin’s bargaining position.
Trump has sought for months to mediate an end to the war, calling it a costly and avoidable loss of life. However, his relationship with Putin has reportedly cooled in recent weeks amid intensified Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine and its European allies have warned against any deal that concedes territory without Kyiv’s consent, arguing such a move would reward aggression and undermine European security.
European leaders and Zelensky are expected to speak with Trump ahead of the summit to gauge his stance.
Moscow insists its 2022 invasion was intended to block Ukraine’s NATO ambitions and protect ethnic Russians, while Kyiv accuses Russia of waging an imperial war aimed at erasing its sovereignty and bringing it under Kremlin control.
