Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Tuesday not to give eastern Ukrainian land to Russia, saying that abandoning the Donbas region would open the door for Russian President Vladimir Putin to “start a third war” in Ukraine.

Trump has touted Friday's summit in Alaska as a chance to get a breakthrough but Zelensky's likely absence from the talks and repeated rejection there can be any land swaps have added to doubts that any genuine diplomatic progress can be made.

Just three days before the planned US-Russia summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out decisions regarding Ukraine being made at the meeting. "They cannot make any decisions about Ukraine without us,