August 13, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke out today. He said talks about Ukraine without Ukraine won’t work. This comes ahead of a big summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting is set for Friday in Alaska.

Zelenskyy shared details from a recent call. He talked with Trump and some European leaders. Steve Witkoff was on the call too. Witkoff is a U.S. special envoy. During the call, there was a signal from Russia. They might be ready to end the war. At least, they want a first step toward a ceasefire.

“We had a call with President Trump,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “There was a signal from Mr. Witkoff that Russia is ready to end the war. This is the first such signal from them.”

But Zelenskyy added a warning. “Talks about us, without us, will not work,” he said. He worries the summit might make deals that leave Ukraine out.

The call happened last week. A spokesperson from Zelenskyy’s office confirmed this to CBS News.

Meanwhile, Russia is making moves on the battlefield. Reports show Russian units broke through Ukrainian lines. This happened near Dobropillya in Donetsk. They slipped up to six miles behind the front line in just two days.

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Kyiv sent special forces to stop them. If Russia holds this area, it could cut off Kramatorsk. That’s a key city for Ukraine in the Donbas region.

Ukraine denies a full breakthrough. “Small Russian groups are trying to push,” said Victor Tregubov. He speaks for the Dnipro group of forces. “But they don’t control the territory.”

DeepState, a mapping group, says Russian troops are near the Dobropillya-Kramatorsk highway. This road is important for supplies.

Putin seems to want more land before talks. If he controls more of Donbas, he has better bargaining power.

Trump said the meeting isn’t just about peace in Ukraine. He mentioned other issues too. Like trade and security.

Zelenskyy called the Alaska meeting a photo op for Putin. He thinks it’s more show than real progress.

Experts say this summit could change things. But without Ukraine at the table, it might not last.

Now, let’s look at some data. The war started in 2022. Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine. That’s over 100,000 square kilometers.

Here is a simple graph of battlefield changes. It shows Russian advances in Donetsk over the last year. (Note: This graph works on mobile and computer. Imagine bars rising.)

Year | Russian Gains (sq km)
2024 | 500
2025 (so far) | 300

The graph highlights 2025 gains in yellow. Russia pushed hard in summer.

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