Zelensky says he had long discussion with Trump over map showing Russian-occupied territories

Washington: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he had a long discussion with US President Donald Trump over a map displayed in the Oval Office showing Russian-captured territories in Ukraine.

“I argued about the percentage on the map because I know this percentage very well,” he added on Monday.

However, the two leaders engaged in a “warm and meaningful conversation” about it, Zelensky said.

“It isn’t possible to say this much territory has been taken over this time. These points are important,” he added.

A map that appeared to show percentages of Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia was on display in the Oval Office during Trump’s meeting with Zelensky.

Zelensky appeared to acknowledge the map during a later meeting with Trump and European leaders, saying he had shown Trump battlefield details on a map.

“Thank you for the map, by the way,” Zelensky said.

“Good map,” Trump responded.

“I’m thinking how to take it back,” Zelensky quipped.

“We’ll get you one,” said Trump.

Whether Russia will retain control of Ukrainian territory — and what territories it will continue to occupy — is a key factor in the peace negotiations.

Moscow has pressed Kyiv to cede control of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region in exchange for a ceasefire, a demand Zelensky has pushed back on.

Late Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelensky can end the war “almost immediately” if he agrees to several demands, including “No getting back Obama given Crimea” — referring to the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014. President Obama did not recognise Crimea as part of Russia.

However, redrawing of Ukrainian territory was not discussed, the NATO Chief Mark Rutte said, as leaders said they agreed this is a matter for Zelensky to discuss at a potential trilateral meeting involving Russia.

European leaders who gathered at the White House on Monday did not discuss redrawing Ukrainian boundaries because that was a matter for President Zelensky to address at a potential trilateral meeting involving Russia, Rutte added.

“We have not discussed that today,” he told Fox News when asked about the issue.

“Everybody is clear, including (US President Donald Trump), that when it comes to territory, it is the Ukrainian President who has to discuss this in the trilateral and probably more conversations after that with Vladimir Putin from Russia.”

“Today, the understanding among leaders was that for any territory to be discussed, there would have to be security guarantees, Rutte said.

Every country in the coalition has to agree on what these guarantees will mean, he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to meet Ukrainian President Zelensky within the next two weeks during a phone call with US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

The location of that meeting has not yet been determined, Merz told reporters on Monday night.

He said such a summit needs to be well prepared but said he doesn’t know if Putin would “have the courage” to attend such a summit.
IANS