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.

The Kremlin leader believes time is on his side as the exhausted and outgunned Ukrainian forces are struggling to stem Russian advances.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this week’s US-Russian summit may open the door to negotiations about Ukrainian territory, even as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has continued to reject ceding land occupied by Russia.