WSJ: Zelenskyy signals openness to “proportional swaps” in White House talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not reject the idea of land swaps during closed-door discussions with Donald Trump and European leaders in Washington, officials said. 

Zelenskyy stressed, however, that it would be difficult to relocate populations and override Ukraine’s constitutional ban on surrendering territory, though he added he might consider “proportional swaps,” Caliber.Az cites a Wall Street Journal article. 

The talks included a review of a US-prepared map of eastern Ukraine that showed Russia controlling 76 per cent of the Donetsk region, one of Kyiv’s most heavily fortified areas. Moscow has demanded the entire Donbas region, a claim European leaders likened to asking the United States to give up the US president’s home state.

“The Russian demand that Ukraine give up parts of the Donbas would be, just to illustrate the scale, comparable to asking the United States to give up Florida,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters after the White House meeting.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb described the eastern Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk as “a bastion against the Huns,” a phrase that officials said appeared to impress Trump.

The discussions came just hours after Trump had insisted on social media that “it was up to Zelenskyy to end the war.” But ahead of his private meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone.

“This gentleman wants it to end, and Vladimir Putin wants it to end,” Trump said, with Zelenskyy at his side. “We’re going to get it ended.”

By Sabina Mammadli