Trump and Putin cannot decide on land swaps, say Ukraine and EU

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, centre, has said the occupied territories belong to Ukraine (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Ukraine and its backers in Europe insist that the United States and Russia cannot decide on land swaps behind their backs at a summit this week, but the Europeans concede that Moscow is unlikely to give up control of Ukrainian land it holds.

Ahead of the summit in Alaska on Friday, US President Donald Trump suggested that a peace deal could include “some swapping of territories”, but the Europeans see no sign that Russia will offer anything to swap.