MOSCOW

Russia will defend its national interests at the summit between President Vladmir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday, Alexey Fadeyev, a deputy foreign ministry spokesman, said on Wednesday.

"Regarding the objectives of the Russian delegation in negotiations in Alaska, they are dictated exclusively by national interests," he told Anadolu at a press briefing in Moscow.

On reports of a potential Russia-Ukraine territory swap, Fadeyev said "the territorial structure of the Russian Federation is enshrined in the Constitution of our country, and that's final."

In 2022, Russia "incorporated" four Ukrainian regions, which the West calls "annexation." Moscow does not fully control them but holds parts of other regions such as Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dniepr. Media reports suggest Russia may trade these for full control of the four claimed territories.

Fadeyev also confirmed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s attendance in the forthcoming meeting.

"Yes, I can confirm Lavrov's participation in this event planned for next Friday in Alaska," he said, redirecting questions about agenda details to the Kremlin.

The official said the meeting should address "all accumulated issues, starting from the Ukrainian crisis and ending with obstacles to establishing normal functional bilateral dialogue."

Last week, Trump announced the Alaska meeting, later confirmed by Russian aide Yury Ushakov. Both said the focus will be a peaceful settlement for Ukraine, with future talks expected in Russia.

Addressing EU efforts to allegedly sway Washington before the summit, Fadeyev dismissed them as "politically and practically negligible actions." European leaders are holding a virtual summit on Wednesday, with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The diplomat also accused Kyiv of escalating "terrorist acts" ahead of the summit, citing a Defense Ministry report alleging a planned false-flag attack in Kharkiv on a civilian facility aimed to accuse Russia for it and disrupt the Putin-Trump talks.

According to Fadeyev's assessment, Kyiv "does not think about peace and considers any negotiations merely as a way to prolong hostilities and maintain power."

Asked about the Russian initiative to establish three working groups to address different aspect of the Ukrainian settlement, he said Moscow still awaits Kyiv’s response on forming negotiation working groups.

On Azerbaijan’s potential arms supplies to Ukraine, Fadeyev warned it would worsen the conflict.