On Wednesday, President Trump had a virtual meeting with numerous European Union leaders, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ahead of his scheduled summit in Alaska on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Organized by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the call on Wednesday included Trump, Zelenskyy (who joined Merz in Berlin), Vice President JD Vance, and several European leaders including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Trump joined the call from the White House, writing ahead of the meeting: “Will be speaking to European Leaders in a short while. They are great people who want to see a deal done.”
The EU on Tuesday demanded that the Ukrainian people should determine their own future and that no peace deal with Russia could be decided without Ukraine at the table. Leaders of 26 of 27 European Union nations said in a statement that viable negotiations must be within the framework of a cease-fire or easing of hostilities and warned of the threat the war posed to European and international security. Merz said in an interview over the weekend: “We cannot accept that territorial issues between Russia and America are discussed or even decided over the heads of Europeans, over the heads of Ukrainians. I assume that the American government sees it the same way. That is why there is this close coordination.”
Trump said on Wednesday said after the Alaska meeting, he hopes there will be a second meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. Asked by a reporter at an event at the Kennedy Center whether there will be consequences for Putin if he doesn’t agree to stop the war after the Friday meeting, Mr. Trump said, “There will be very severe consequences,” but declined to elaborate.
Merz, standing alongside Zelenskyy, told journalists in a press conference after meeting with Mr. Trump: “U.S. President Trump will start discussions with President Putin in Alaska about bringing the war to an end, and important decisions could be reached. We as Europeans are doing everything we can to help set the agenda for that meeting. We’re hoping that Donald Trump has success in that meeting in Anchorage.”
Merz said that he and Zelenskyy had spoken with Mr. Trump together: “In Alaska, security interests of Europe and Ukraine must be protected. That is part of what we discussed with President Trump. We were together on the conditions of this meeting and the goals of this meeting on Friday … We want to make sure that the right chronology happens: that there is a ceasefire and that there is an agreement that is discussed after that. A legal recognition of Russian ownership of this territory cannot happen. There have to be robust security guarantees. The sovereignty of Ukraine has to be respected. Negotiations have to be part of a larger transatlantic strategy, and has to be part of necessary pressure on Russia. If there is no movement on the Russian side, we and the U.S. have to put more pressure on Russia. President Trump knows this position and largely agrees with it, and we had a good conversation with each other. Everything … needs to be discussed with Ukraine”
Zelenskyy thanked Merz and said “everything regarding Ukraine needs to be discussed with Ukraine. We have to be part of this conversation .. President Trump has supported us today, and the U.S. is ready to support us.” The Ukrainian leader added that he told Trump and the European leaders that “Putin is bluffing,” and that “Putin doesn’t want peace. He wants to occupy our country, and we understand it. Putin cannot fool us. We need to pressure him. Sanctions not only from the U.S., but from the European Union. Together our union of partners can really, really stop Putin’s war. Sanctions and increasing sanctions on Russia if they are not agreeing to a ceasefire — this is very effective and they are working.”
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