Russian forces advance in Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin Alaska summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns of fresh Russian offensives as Trump and Putin prepare for talks in Alaska without Kyiv at the table

Russian forces have reportedly pushed forward in eastern Ukraine just days before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska — a meeting that will not include Ukraine.

 

Fighting escalates in Ukraine   

Ukraine’s army said fighting has intensified around the village of Kucheriv Yar in the Donetsk region, with Russian troops advancing roughly 10 km in two days through a narrow sector of the front.  

 

The DeepState blog, which has close links to Ukraine’s armed forces and tracks frontline developments, reported on August 13 that Ukrainian forces cleared the southern outskirts of Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhia region after repelling Russian infiltration attempts. At the same time, DeepState said Russian troops had advanced near Nikanorivka, Shcherbynivka, and Petrivka in the Donetsk region.

 

'We will not withdraw from Donbas': Zelenskyy

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the upcoming Alaska summit for sidelining Ukraine, saying it would “postpone sanctions” and boost Putin’s standing by hosting him on US soil. He has called for a ceasefire along current frontlines, prisoner exchanges, and the return of missing children before any talks on territory or long-term security.

 

In a meeting with journalists, as reported by The Washington Post, Zelenskyy warned that Moscow is “laying the groundwork for further attacks, not peace”. He said, “We will not withdraw from the Donbas… if we withdraw from the Donbas today – our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control – we will clearly open a bridgehead for the Russians to prepare an offensive.”

 

The Donbas, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk,  was partly occupied by Russia since 2014, and has been fully claimed by Russia since 2022.  ALSO READ | Trump says he'll quickly know if Putin seeks Ukraine peace deal in talks

Donald Trump lowers Russia-Ukraine ceasefire expectations

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump seemed to be tempering expectations, describing the Alaska summit as an opportunity to assess the situation.

 

“Probably in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,” Trump told reporters on Monday.

 

The Washington Post, citing anonymous US officials and people briefed on recent talks, reported that Trump’s earlier optimism may have been based on a misunderstanding of what Moscow might be prepared to accept in potential negotiations to end the war. The report said US intelligence believes Putin’s long-standing objectives in Ukraine have not shifted and remain focused on consolidating control over occupied areas, including Donbas.

 

While Trump has threatened additional sanctions if no ceasefire is agreed, he has not imposed new measures in the lead-up to the summit. The White House has maintained that the president will engage directly with Ukrainian leadership after his meeting with Putin, but no specifics have been offered on how Kyiv’s concerns will be addressed.