Russia has occupied a fifth of Ukrainian territory – and a big map showing the area shaded in red was put up in the Oval Office as if to emphasise that point for President Donald Trump’s talks with Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.<\/b><\/p>\n
“I assume you’ve all seen the map,” Trump told Fox News on Tuesday. “A big chunk of territory is taken and that territory has been taken.”<\/p>\n
The message from the White House to Ukraine is unmistakable. That land has gone and it is time to consider a territorial compromise with Vladimir Putin or, as some have termed it, land swaps.<\/p>\n
Zelensky’s team had brought their own map to the meeting and the Ukrainian leader said later he had been “fighting with what is on that map” during his conversation with Trump, regarding “who controls what \u2013 not by hearsay, but in reality”.<\/p>\n
Although he felt he had made some headway on correcting any false impressions, by Tuesday Trump’s view was the same. It was clear, he said, that Russia’s force was “so clearly much more powerful, and you know, it’s not like they’ve stopped”.<\/p>\n
Asked what the feeling was like in the room with European leaders regarding land swaps he said: “Now they’re talking about Donbas, but Donbas right now is… 79% owned and controlled by Russia.”<\/p>\n