By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Monday 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.
Both 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, stated 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.
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.
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” referred to the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014. President Obama did not recognize Crimea as part of Russia.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte said redrawing of Ukrainian territory was not discussed, 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 did not discuss redrawing Ukrainian boundaries because that was a matter for President Zelensky to address at a potential trilateral meeting involved 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.
He added that every country in the coalition has to agree on what these guarantees will mean.
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.
Merz told reporters on Monday night that the location of that meeting has not yet been determined.
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.
