Russia Nears Dobropillia Before Trump Putin Talks
Russian Forces Push Near Dobropillia as Trump, Putin Prepare for Alaska Summit
In one of the largest offensives of the year, Russian troops have advanced toward the coal-mining town of Dobropillia in eastern Ukraine, part of Moscow’s push to seize full control of the Donetsk region. Ukraine’s military says it has deployed reserve units and is locked in intense fighting against Russian forces.
The renewed clashes come just days before the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021. Former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet on Friday at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, according to White House officials.
Trump has hinted that any peace agreement could involve “swapping territories,” a stance that alarms Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his European allies, who fear such a deal could force Kyiv to surrender far more land than Moscow.
U.S. officials are playing down expectations for a breakthrough, describing the meeting as a “listening exercise.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump wants to assess Putin directly. “The president feels he has to look at this guy across the table, face to face, and make his judgment,” Rubio told WABC radio on Tuesday.
Zelenskiy has insisted that no lasting peace is possible without Ukraine at the negotiating table and that any agreement must respect international law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He will join European leaders in a virtual meeting with Trump on Wednesday to stress those points.
“Talks about us without us will not work,” Zelenskiy told NewsNation. “I cannot make decisions for another country, and no one can make them for mine.”
Kyiv maintains that Russia must first agree to a ceasefire before any territorial negotiations take place. Zelenskiy has vowed to reject proposals requiring Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the eastern Donbas region.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the Alaska meeting was proposed by Putin, and Trump agreed to “get a better understanding” of how to end the war. She added that Trump is open to a future trilateral meeting with both Putin and Zelenskiy.
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