Daijiworld Media Network – Kyiv

Kyiv, Aug 10: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has firmly ruled out ceding any territory to end the war with Russia, warning that decisions taken without Kyiv’s participation would undermine peace.

His remarks came after European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty in a joint statement on Saturday, insisting that “international borders must not be changed by force.” The statement was backed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland.

The developments follow an announcement by US President Donald Trump that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 — a meeting that appears to exclude Zelenskiy. Reports suggest the talks could focus on a deal allowing Russia to retain occupied territories, including Crimea and the eastern Donbas region.

“Any decisions taken without Ukraine are decisions against peace,” Zelenskiy said, adding that Ukraine’s Constitution leaves no room for territorial compromise. “No one will be able to deviate from this.”

Zelenskiy also accused Putin of using civilian casualties as leverage, saying, “His only card is the ability to kill, and he is trying to sell the cessation of killings at the highest possible price.”

Meanwhile, intense behind-the-scenes diplomacy continued. National security advisers from Europe, Ukraine and the US met at Chevening House in the UK, co-hosted by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Vice President JD Vance. European powers reportedly proposed a ceasefire-first framework for potential negotiations with Russia.

On the battlefield, both sides traded air strikes overnight. Russia claimed to have downed 224 Ukrainian drones within 24 hours, including three aimed at Moscow, while Ukraine reported hitting a UAV storage site deep inside Russia’s Tatarstan region. Ukrainian air defences said they intercepted one Iskander missile and 16 drones launched by Russia.