Sidelined from Trump-Putin talks, Ukraine warns the world not to trust Russia

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty ImagesSidelined from forthcoming talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S

President Donald Trump to negotiate an end to the war, Ukraine has warned the world that Moscow is not to be trusted and is planning new offensives.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said intelligence and military officials had briefed him on Monday "on what Putin is counting on and what he is actually preparing for," saying "this includes military preparations.""He is certainly not preparing to cease fire or end the war," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address."There is not a single sign that the Russians have been told to prepare for a post-war situation – not yet

On the contrary, they are moving their troops and forces in ways that indicate they plan to launch new offensive operations

No one preparing for peace acts this way," he added."Putin's sole aim is to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting as before, putting pressure on Ukraine as before," the president warned

CNBC has ed the Kremlin for a response to Zelenskyy's claims and is awaiting a response.The blem for Ukraine is whether anyone is listening.Neither Zelenskyy nor European officials are invited to the Trump-Putin talks in Alaska on Friday, much to their consternation.Ukraine has vehemently stated that no deal its future can be struck in its absence, amid fears that it could be forced to cede Russian-occupied territory to Moscow as part of a peace deal

European leaders, meanwhile, are pushing strongly for Ukraine's involvement in the talks

The U.S., for its part, has said it is considering inviting Zelenskyy, NBC News reported.watch now6:2406:24President Trump: We're going to try to get some prime territory back for Ukraine from RussiaMoney MoversGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Trump to join Zelenskyy and European leaders when they hold an emergency call on Tuesday afternoon in anticipation of Friday's talks

The virtual summit will reportedly focus on ways to pressure Russia, the fate of Ukrainian territories seized by Russia and possible security guarantees for Kyiv.Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, told CNBC Tuesday that Putin was "just pretending to negotiate" and was trying to circumvent Trump's threat of further sanctions if a ceasefire is not agreed."In order to have any deal implemented, you need Europe and you need Ukraine

So it is that Putin is just pretending to negotiate

Otherwise it would have Ukraine around that table

He just wants to postpone the sanctions, and that's why he's playing this game," Kallas told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe."Claiming that Putin "just wants to have a picture with President Trump," Kallas said Russia had shown little appetite for peace."It is that Putin just wants some concessions, and they haven't done any concessions on their side before [talking ceding] territories, we should talk ceasefire ..

Ukraine agreed to an unconditional ceasefire already five months ago, and since then, Putin and the Kremlin have just been playing games

So we should really put the pressure on Russia," she said.'Feel-out' meetingTrump suggested on Monday that there could "some swapping" of territory as part of a peace deal though he insisted the U.S. "would try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.""There'll be some swapping, there'll be some changes in land," Trump told reporters at the White House, although he downplayed any expectations of what could come of the talks, describing them as a "feel-out meeting.""We're going to see what he has in mind and if it's a fair deal, I'll reveal it to the European Union leaders and to NATO leaders and also to President Zelensky," Trump said.watch now4:2804:28Trump is set to meet with Putin

Here's what you can expect from talksPower LunchGeopolitical analysts agree that the talks are unly to yield a comprehensive and long-lasting solution to the more-than-three year conflict between Russia and Ukraine, given the complexity of the war, its underlying causes and the number of stakeholders involved.Instead, the talks "should be seen as the Trump administration's attempt to assess whether there is space for a mutually acceptable commise — at least on select issues," Andrius Tursa, Central and Eastern Europe advisor at risk consultancy Teneo, said in ed s Monday."Even in a best-case scenario, any high-level agreement would require multiple rounds of difficult -up talks to resolve implementation issues

This would be another option for Moscow to draw out the talks, hoping to capitalize on its gradually increasing advantage on the frontlines," he noted.Read moreTrump-Putin talks are already a triumph for Moscow, its economy and Russia’s struggling war economy might be what finally drives Moscow to the negotiating tableRussia's economy 'stinks,' Trump says, and lower oil prices will stop its war machineThe Kremlin may seek to exploit growing exhaustion in Ukraine by posing a temporary or partial de-escalation in the war, Tursa said."Such a move would offer the Trump administration a symbolic diplomatic success while placing pressure on Kyiv to make substantial concessions

Should Ukraine fail to respond in a way deemed acceptable by Moscow, the Kremlin would ly portray Kyiv as the main obstacle to peace and count on Washington to increase pressure on Zelenskyy."Tursa said this latter scenario underscores the risks inherent in any potential Trump-Putin agreement that's reached without the direct involvement of Ukraine and its European allies."Despite Ukraine's reliance on U.S. support, neither Zelensky nor Ukraine's parliament could be expected to endorse an agreement perceived as unfavorable and lacking public backing

Zelensky's administration has already publicly rejected the idea of territorial concessions floated ahead of the summit, ly signaling Kyiv's red lines."