World News for Students of English

13-08-2025 07:00

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country won’t give its land to occupiers and that any solution without Ukraine’s participation would be against peace.

His comments follow US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August to discuss the war.

Trump suggested the talks could involve territory swaps, an idea Ukraine rejects under its constitution. Putin insists any peace deal must allow Russia to keep four occupied regions, while Zelensky wants an unconditional ceasefire as a starting point for negotiations. Ukrainian officials warn that talks without Kyiv risk concessions they cannot accept and that rewarding aggression would harm international law.

European leaders are concerned about the talks, fearing that Putin aims to reduce sanctions rather than end the war. Ukraine believes the US can help more, but only in ways that respect Ukraine’s security, sovereignty, and constitutional limits.

Difficult words: constitution (the main set of laws and rules of a country), concession (something given up to reach an agreement), reward (to give something good or beneficial to someone because of what they have done).

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