European leaders on Saturday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, while emphasizing the need to maintain pressure on Moscow and protect Ukrainian and European security interests.
President Trump plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, stating that the parties, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, are close to a deal that could resolve the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict. A White House official confirmed that Trump is open to a trilateral summit but is currently planning a bilateral meeting as requested by Putin.
While details of a potential deal have not been announced, Trump said it would involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.” This could require Ukraine to surrender significant parts of its territory, an outcome Zelenskiy and his European allies argue would only encourage further Russian aggression.
Key Discussions Among European and US Officials
US Vice President JD Vance met with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and representatives from Ukraine and its European allies on Saturday at Chevening House near London to discuss Trump’s peace initiative.
A joint statement from the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Britain, and Finland, as well as the president of the European Commission, welcomed Trump’s efforts but stressed the importance of continued support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia. “We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests,” they said. The statement added that these interests include the need for “robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity” and stressed that “The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
Kyiv’s Stance and Counterproposals
Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, who participated in the talks, expressed Ukraine’s gratitude for the constructive approach of the European leaders. On X, Yermak reiterated Kyiv’s position that it would reject any territorial concessions, stating, “A ceasefire is necessary – but the front line is not a border.”
A European official disclosed that European representatives put forward a counterproposal, without providing details. The Wall Street Journal reported that this counterproposal included demands for a ceasefire to be implemented before any other steps and for any territorial exchange to be reciprocal, backed by firm security guarantees.
A US official described the hours-long meetings at Chevening as having “produced significant progress toward President Trump’s goal of bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, ahead of President Trump and President Putin’s upcoming meeting in Alaska.”
European Leaders’ Consultations
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke, pledging to find a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and “unwavering support” for Zelenskiy while welcoming Trump’s efforts. Macron emphasized Ukraine’s essential role in any negotiations, writing on X, “Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians, who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now.”
Zelenskiy has been in a flurry of calls with allies since Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow on Wednesday, a trip Trump said had achieved “great progress.” Ukraine and the EU have resisted proposals they see as ceding too much to Putin.
Ukrainians remain defiant. Olesia Petritska, 51, told Reuters, “Not a single serviceman will agree to cede territory, to pull out troops from Ukrainian territories,” as she stood among hundreds of small Ukrainian flags in Kyiv’s central square, commemorating fallen soldiers.
