MOSCOW/WASHINGTON, Aug 12 – Small groups of Russian soldiers pushed deeper into eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, just days before a high-profile meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. European leaders are voicing concerns that the talks could end with Ukraine being forced into a settlement that strips it of more land.
Russian forces pushed forward near the coal-mining town of Dobropillia, in what has been described as one of the most notable gains in the area so far this year. The Ukrainian military responded by deploying reserve units, reporting intense clashes with Russian forces as the fight to hold key defensive lines intensified.
Trump has indicated that a potential peace agreement could include exchanging certain territories in a way he believes would benefit both Russia and Ukraine. Yet, since the disputed areas lie entirely within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his allies in the European Union fear the burden of concessions will fall almost entirely on Kyiv.
The upcoming summit, set for Friday at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since 2021. U.S. officials have sought to temper expectations, describing the event as a “listening exercise” rather than a formal negotiation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the president aimed to personally assess Putin’s motives. “The president feels he needs to look at him across the table, hear him one on one, and make an assessment by observing him directly,” Rubio told a New York radio station.
Zelenskiy and most European leaders maintain that no lasting peace can be achieved without Ukraine at the negotiating table and that any settlement must respect the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law. To reinforce their position, they are set to hold a virtual meeting with Trump on Wednesday, aiming to influence his stance before the Alaska summit.
“Talks about us without us are destined to fail,” Zelenskiy said in an interview on Tuesday. “I would never presume to decide the fate of another nation, and I expect the same respect for Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian president has been clear that a ceasefire must come before any territorial discussions. He has also rejected proposals for Ukraine to pull its forces from the Donbas region, calling such demands unacceptable.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt explained that the bilateral meeting had been suggested by Putin and accepted by Trump as a step toward understanding “how we might bring this war to a close,” she said, adding that Trump is open to holding a future meeting with both leaders together.
Fresh Russian Advances in the East
Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov suggested that Russia’s recent advances might heighten the pressure on Ukraine to give up territory in a potential peace agreement. “This breakthrough is like a gift for both Putin and Trump ahead of their negotiations,” he commented.
Although struggling with a lack of personnel, Ukraine’s military has carried out a few successful counterattacks. On Monday, the military announced the recapture of two villages in the Sumy region, a small but symbolic reversal in a conflict that has largely seen slow Russian advances in the southeast.
Russia, which began its full-scale invasion in February 2022, launched a renewed offensive in Sumy earlier this year after Putin demanded the establishment of a “buffer zone.” Kyiv fears this push is part of a larger strategy to secure leverage ahead of any diplomatic talks.
European leaders remain wary of any arrangement that could reward Moscow’s aggression. They argue that Ukraine must remain capable of defending itself to ensure stability across the continent. Several nations have pledged additional military aid and financial support to strengthen Kyiv’s position.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk made his stance clear at a cabinet meeting. “Ukraine cannot lose this war, and nobody has the right to pressure them into concessions that amount to capitulation,” Tusk said. “I hope we can persuade President Trump to recognize and uphold the European position.”
Political Divides in Europe
While most EU leaders have united behind Ukraine, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, widely regarded as Moscow’s closest ally in Europe, has openly broken ranks. In a recent online interview, Orban declared, “The Ukrainians have lost the war. Russia has already won.” His remarks have drawn criticism from other European capitals but underscored the political fractures that complicate a unified response.
In recent weeks, Trump has seemed to take a more hardline stance toward Moscow. He approved additional U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine and floated the idea of heavy trade tariffs on buyers of Russian oil, though that ultimatum has since expired.
Still, the Ukrainian government worries that Trump’s desire to secure a diplomatic breakthrough—and potentially lay the groundwork for future business with Russia—could lead to compromises at Kyiv’s expense. Zelenskiy has said he shares Trump’s determination to end the war but stressed that it must be done without undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
As the Alaska meeting approaches, the battlefield remains volatile, with fresh reports of shelling in eastern Ukraine and troop movements on both sides. For Kyiv and its European allies, the fear is not only that the conflict could be frozen along the current front lines but that such an outcome would leave Ukraine permanently weakened and embolden future aggression.