Trump-Putin Alaska talks: Four controversial scenarios for Ukraine peace mapped

A high-stakes showdown between US President Donald Trump and Russian despot Vladimir Putin could decide the future of the Ukraineconflict when the pair face-off in Alaska this week. Four key scenarios have emerged as potential - and controversial - solutions.

President Trump has warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would need to "swap" land with Russia in order to secure a ceasefire deal with the Kremlin - a red line for Kyiv. It is not clear what land Trump has referred to, although it would likely not be accepted by Zelenskyy who previously said: "Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier."

Trump is keen to bill himself as peacemaker by bringing to an end to the conflict that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers as well as Ukrainian civilians. Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has since occupied the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhizhia. It comes after Putin warns of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine.

Read more: Ukraine prepared to give up territory ahead of Trump-Putin peace talks

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Meanwhile, Ukraine has been offered little in exchange to end the war, with Trump ruling out security guarantees for the country or a possible pathway to joining NATO. It is also unclear whether Zelesnkyy or any other European leaders will be attending the crunch talks with the White House having reportedly been "considering" inviting the Ukrainian president.

Trump previously focused his fury on the Ukrainian president, including during the disastrous meeting at the White House earlier this year, but he has since turned his ire on Putin with the Russian president continuing the war.

The US leader has insisted he and Putin meet in Alaska on August 15 and is expected to demand an end to the war. Alaska holds a symbolic meaning for the two countries, as the territory was sold to the US by Russia in 1867.

But what deal could be struck in The Last Frontier, and would it be accepted by Ukraine and European leaders?

The Land Swap deal

Trump has said any ceasefire deal would involve some sort of "swapping" of territory. He previously said Russia occupied prime "oceanfront property" and that he aims to "get some of that territory back."

Under a Trump deal, Putin could retain control of the Donbas while exchanging parts of Kherson, thereby denying Russia a land border with Crimea.

It is unclear whether this deal would be accepted by Ukraine or Russia. Putin's war aims have shifted during the conflict, although a mainstay has been his ambitions to establish a land bridge to occupied Crimea.

Putin's desired ceasefire deal

Putin could accept a ceasefire deal should he be allowed to fully annex the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in full as well as where the current front lines are.

Russia has pushed deep into eastern and southern Ukraine. While these fall short of Putin's initial war goals of toppling Ukraine's government, it would represent the largest territorial exchange in Europe by conquest since the end of World War 2.

The position would also leave Ukraine more vulnerable to a future attack, should Putin or his successor want to continue expansion to re-establish borders of the former Russian and Soviet empires.

Putin's preferred outcome

It is no secret that Putin is a hard negotiator, namely because he is not keen to give any concessions. Under his ideal deal, Russia would annex all occupied territories and expand further outward to encompass all the oblast (county) borders.

Should the deal be reached, it would be viewed with horror in both Ukraine and other European leaders. The possibility of the deal would be seen as a reward for Putin's warmongering and could further spur him to plot further expansion efforts around Eastern Europe.

Europe's push for peace

European nations have a longstanding position that any ceasefire should be along the current frontline. Russia has pushed to make advances deeper into Ukraine with Putin having been reluctant to ease his offensive.

Any further concessions could prove advantageous to Russia should they want to launch another invasion of Ukraine in the future.

The Mirror has contacted foreign policy experts for comment.