The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will be presented with a 'peace deal' by US counterpart Donald Trump next week.
A former actor who stepped into the world of politics six years ago, Zelenskyy's imminent arrival in Washington, DC, was confirmed by Trump on social media shortly after his meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska yesterday (15 August).
"A great and very successful day in Alaska!" the POTUS began his post on Truth Social. "The meeting with President Vladimir Putin went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO.
"It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up."
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Trump added: "President Zelenskyy will be coming to DC, the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people's lives will be saved."
So, what can Zelenskyy expect when he steps through those hallowed doors on Monday (August 18)?
In the press conference after his and Putin's summit - the first time they'd been in the same room since 2019, notably - Trump insinuated that they'd discussed possible land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Per MailOnline, diplomatic sources claim that the US proposed an agreement that would lead to the Ukrainians not joining NATO; instead, they'd be eligible for Article 5 protections, in which allies consider an attack on one of them as an attack on all.
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Zelenskyy allegedly heard about these plans over the phone with Trump, but he'll get a much clearer picture of the potential future landscape when they get together in a couple of days.
The source explained: "No-one knows how this could work and why Putin would agree to it if he is categorically against NATO and obviously against really effective guarantees of Ukraine's sovereignty."
Whether the Ukrainian president will put pen to paper on this 'peace deal' is anyone's guess.
Meanwhile, Trump shared some choice words for Zelenskyy earlier this week, after the Ukrainian leader responded to his comments about potentially giving up territories, calling them 'stillborn decisions against peace'.
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He also said that the conflict could not truly be ended without Ukraine at the table.
The 79-year-old insisted that 'land swapping' could be key to ending the war, and said that he 'very severely' disagreed with Zelenskyy's handling of the war.
He said it 'never should have happened', adding: "I was a little bothered by the fact Zelenskyy was saying ‘I have to get constitutional approval’. He’s got approval to go into war and kill everybody? But he needs approval to do a land swap?"
Admitting that he would only call Zelenskyy if a 'fair deal' was on the table, Trump speculated: "I may say, ‘lots of luck, keep fighting’, or I may say, ‘we can make a deal.'"
LADbible Group has contacted the White House for comment.
Topics: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Politics, Donald Trump, Ukraine, Russia
Dan Seddon