Near the front, Ukraine troops see ‘no hope’ in Trump-Putin meet

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine - Ukrainian serviceman Vyacheslav was hopeful when Mr Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier in 2025, optimistic that the US president could help end Russia’s three-year invasion on Ukraine’s terms.

Almost seven months into Mr Trump’s tenure – and just days before he is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss the war – that optimism has diminished.

“Now there is no hope but there is some anticipation,” the 36-year-old told AFP, using his first name only in line with military protocol.

The meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Putin on Aug 15 is so far planned to go ahead without Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, fuelling fears that Kyiv could be forced into concessions, including over land.

For another Ukrainian soldier, Dmytro, the idea of giving up territory was a non-starter, echoing Mr Zelensky’s repeated concerns.

“Exchanging territories will not change anything,” the 22-year-old said.

“It will give Russia a chance to regroup and not make the mistakes they made in early 2022,” he added, referring to Russia’s invasion launched in February 2022.

Russian troops advanced quickly in the early months of the invasion but lost a large chunk of their initial gains after encountering stiff Ukrainian resistance.

“We understand that we will not be able to regain what we have lost but we will fight for every piece of our land, for our future,” Mr Dmytro added.

Don’t believe them

Ukraine and Russia have already held several rounds of direct talks in Turkey in 2025 that have yielded no breakthroughs.

Russian troops continue to advance, Ukraine has refused to cede territory in negotiations and Mr Zelensky says the Kremlin must be forced by sanctions and might to end its invasion.

“We see the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations,” Mr Zelensky wrote on social media on Aug 12.

In Kyiv, Mr Oleksiy Vadovychenko, a producer who lives in the capital, said he had no hopes for any significant outcomes from the meeting in Alaska.

“There have already been more than enough talks and not once have there been any noticeable results,” the 38-year-old told AFP.

Ms Natalia, from the eastern Ukraine city of Pokrovsk, which Russian forces are working to encircle, told AFP she had no faith in either the US or Russian leaders.

“I just don’t believe them, neither one nor the other, neither this Russian fascist nor Trump. That’s it,” the 65-year-old pensioner said.

Mr Valentyn, a Kyiv resident who declined to give his last name, repeated a commonly held belief in Ukraine that even if Mr Trump secures a pause, Mr Putin will ultimately pursue his maximalist aims of capturing the entire country, and will restart the conflict after reconstituting his army.

“Even if there is peace, it will be temporary. In other words, in a year or two or three, there will be another attack,” he said. AFP