Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared Tuesday that Ukraine will not surrender the Donbas region to Russia, warning such a move would pave the way for yet another Russian invasion.

“For the Russians, Donbas is a springboard for a future new offensive. If we leave Donbas of our own accord or under pressure, we will start a third war,” Zelensky told reporters.

The warning comes just days before President Donald J. Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday — a high-stakes summit requested by Moscow. Putin is expected to push for significant territorial concessions as part of a possible peace deal.

While the Kremlin’s full demands remain unclear, CNN reports that most versions of the proposed ceasefire would require Ukraine to pull all forces from the Donbas areas still under Kyiv’s control, including sections of the Donetsk region.

Zelensky, who has repeatedly emphasized that Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea and its 2022 full-scale invasion remain unacceptable under international law, insisted he has “no right” to give up Ukrainian territory.

“I am not going to surrender my country because I have no right to do so,” Zelensky said. “If we leave Donbas today, our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control, we will clearly open a bridgehead for the preparation of a Russian offensive.”

Kyiv officials have warned for weeks that Russia is massing troops for a fresh attack, potentially as early as September. Zelensky said he has not received any credible proposals ensuring that Moscow will refrain from targeting additional cities such as Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv.

“The exchange of territories is a very complex issue that cannot be separated from security guarantees for Ukraine, for our sovereign state and our people,” he said, adding that the European Union’s participation in peace talks is critical since “no one except Europe is giving us security guarantees.”

According to the White House, Zelensky will not attend Friday’s Trump-Putin summit, but the president intends to brief Kyiv and European allies immediately afterward.

“The president is agreeing to this meeting, at the request of President Putin,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News. “And the goal of this meeting for the president is to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war.”

Leavitt stressed that President Trump believes an in-person discussion will provide the clearest read on whether Putin is sincere about peace.

Zelensky remains firm that Ukraine must be directly involved in any negotiations. “Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine — they are simultaneously decisions against peace,” he said Saturday. “These are dead decisions; they will never work. And what we all need is a real, living peace, one that people will respect.”

Several European leaders echoed that sentiment, stating that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”

President Trump, for his part, told reporters Monday that he expects to know “within minutes” of meeting Putin whether the Russian leader is genuinely interested in reaching an agreement — acknowledging that any deal would involve complex “land-swapping” discussions.