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European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are urging for more “pressure” on Russia, as a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine approaches.
There is widespread concern that a potential agreement could require Ukraine to cede territory to achieve peace.
The Trump-Putin summit is scheduled for this Friday in Alaska. Following Trump’s previous comments about a possible “swapping of territories,” Zelenskyy warned on social media that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
He added that “any decisions without Ukraine are also decisions against peace” and has called on allies to take “clear steps” towards a sustainable resolution.
European leaders from France, Germany, the UK, and other nations issued a joint statement echoing this sentiment.
While welcoming Trump’s efforts, they emphasised that a successful peace effort must combine “active diplomacy, support to Ukraine, and pressure on the Russian Federation.”
The leaders stressed that any resolution “must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests” and that the “path to peace… cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to align their views ahead of the meeting.
Despite the diplomatic push, fighting continues on the ground. Russia claimed to have taken another village in the Donetsk region, while a bus carrying civilians was struck in Kherson, killing two people.
