After the meeting with Europe... Trump: "No Discussions of Territorial Division Between Russia and Ukraine"

Alaska talks on the 15th…"Putin will face serious consequences if he refuses a ceasefire"

US, European, and Ukrainian leaders hold virtual summit

Meeting held to alleviate concerns over 'Europe being sidelined'

Zelensky: "US promised a security guarantee"

Trump: "Three-way summit is the top priority"

Warns Putin prior to Alaska talks

"Jordan Valley solution also discussed

Russia effectively controls occupied Ukrainian territory"

President Donald Trump, in a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, decided not to hold any discussions about the division of Ukrainian territory. President Trump warned that if Russia doesn’t agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, it will face serious consequences. He also indicated a willingness to provide security assistance to Ukraine.

◇ "First priority is to arrange a trilateral summit"

According to Reuters on the 13th (local time), President Trump announced in a virtual summit with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that there would not be any discussions regarding Ukrainian territorial division during the meeting with President Putin. French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized, "President Trump made it clear that the US wants to achieve a ceasefire at the Alaska summit," adding, "Trump's stance is that any negotiations on Ukrainian territory must be led only by the Ukrainian President and that unilateral deals are unacceptable."

After the meeting with Europe…Trump: "No Discussions of Territorial Division Between Russia and Ukraine". The virtual summit was called as Europe and Ukraine, worried about being sidelined in ceasefire discussions ahead of the US-Russia summit in Alaska on the 15th, wanted to lay out preliminary conditions for talks with President Trump. Until now, the US argued that for a ceasefire, Ukraine would need to cede some of its territory occupied by Russia, sparking controversy. There were also concerns that at this US-Russia summit, the US might unilaterally declare a ceasefire with Russia without consulting Ukraine.

However, President Trump emphasized to reporters that "the top priority for this meeting is to swiftly arrange a trilateral summit involving President Zelensky," and added, "of course, that's if they want me at the table." He also sent a “warning” to President Putin, threatening, "If President Putin does not agree to a peace deal with Ukraine, he will face serious consequences."

◇ Trump Pressuring Russia

According to US outlet Axios, President Trump said during his meeting with European leaders that the goal of meeting with President Putin is to see if a ceasefire and comprehensive peace agreement are possible. Some analysts say this suggests he is listening to the views of the free world against Russia and that the US could use "card of pressure" on Russia to achieve the ceasefire goal.

On the 6th, President Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports of Russian oil, pulling out the so-called "second tariffs" card. The strategy is to apply sanctions to countries trading with Russia through tariff hikes, while simultaneously pressuring Russia’s funding sources. Other measures under consideration include sanctioning Russian banks and imposing additional tariffs on China, a major buyer of Russian energy.

President Trump stated that after the war, the US would also provide security assistance to Ukraine. President Zelensky said, "President Trump supported the security arrangements in the post-war agreement." Security guarantees from the US were a key demand for both Ukraine and Europe. However, until now, President Trump has made it clear there would not be direct US support for Ukraine. Instead, the US chose an indirect approach, letting Ukraine use US-made weapons sold to Europe. However, during the virtual meeting, President Trump reportedly did not elaborate on specific details of security assistance.

◇ Was the ‘Jordan Valley Solution’ discussed?

There has also been a report that the US and Russia considered, as a model for ending the war in Ukraine, a scenario where Russia would control occupied Ukrainian territories using a system akin to Israel's occupation of the Jordan Valley. This comes from a report by the British daily The Times. The scenario involves Russia establishing its own governing bodies and exercising military and economic control over occupied areas, referencing Israel’s de facto administration of the West Bank since capturing it from Jordan in 1967. This approach would allow for a functional ceding of territory by Ukraine without a formal referendum, bypassing the Ukrainian Constitution that doesn’t recognize Russian occupation. Although Ukraine would retain its official borders, in reality the occupied eastern regions would be under Russian administration. A source explained, "A governor would be installed in the region and economic gains would flow to Russia. Although Ukraine would never formally relinquish sovereignty, the practical reality would be occupation."

Reporter: Kim Juwan kjwan@hankyung.com