Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders plan talks with Donald Trump ahead of his scheduled meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders plan talks with Donald Trump ahead of his scheduled meeting with Vladimir Putin.
European and Ukrainian leaders will hold a virtual meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, aiming to warn against compromising Kyiv’s interests in pursuit of a ceasefire ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump is scheduled to host Putin, shunned by the West since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, in Alaska on Friday. The US president has described the talks as a “feel out” meeting in his push to end the war, with his administration tempering expectations, calling it a “listening exercise.”
The meeting marks the first US Russia summit since 2021, coming after Trump abruptly shifted course last week following weeks of frustration with Putin’s resistance to a US peace initiative. He said his envoy had made “great progress” in Moscow and maintained that both Kyiv and Moscow would need to cede territory to reach peace. Russian forces currently control nearly a fifth of Ukraine.
The unpredictability of the Alaska summit has raised alarm in Europe that Trump and Putin could reach far reaching agreements, possibly pressuring Ukraine into an unfavorable deal. “We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen, engaging with US partners and staying coordinated and united on the European side. Still a lot of time until Friday,” said a senior Eastern European official.
The video call, scheduled for 1200 GMT (1400 CET), will involve Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, the European Union and NATO’s secretary general. It will be hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Ukraine hopes the meeting will act as a European counterbalance to the Alaska talks.
While European leaders have publicly welcomed Trump’s peace efforts, they insist that “no deal about Ukraine” should be made without Ukraine’s participation. Several senior European officials told Reuters they fear a settlement that could undermine both Ukraine’s and Europe’s security, stressing that unity will be essential if such an outcome arises.
A source familiar with US internal discussions did not rule out Trump seeking a direct deal with Putin without Ukraine or Europe’s involvement, though they expressed doubt, warning it could damage relations with Kyiv and the EU.
Following the call, Trump and Vice President JD Vance are expected to address European leaders in a separate online meeting at 1300 GMT (1500 CET), according to the German government.
Easily access major global news with a strong focus on Africa. As well as the main stories of the day, we like to accentuate positive stories about Africa across all genres including Politics, Business, Commerce, Science, Sports, Arts & Culture, Showbiz and Fashion.
We broadcast 24 hours a day from our studios in London and New York and can be seen here in the UK and across Europe on the Sky platform (Sky channel 516), Freeview (Channel 136) as well as in the USA on the Centric channel and also on the Hot bird platform, which transmits to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
