EU leaders push Trump to stand up for Ukraine and Europe during negotiations
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump (Photo: Getty Images)
Leaders of European Union countries and the President of the European Commission have called on US President Donald Trump to defend the interests of Ukraine and Europe in negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a joint statement by the EU leaders and the head of the European Commission.
In the statement, seven EU country leaders and the President of the European Commission urged US President Donald Trump to conduct negotiations with Russia exclusively under conditions of a ceasefire and to protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe.
“We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests. We agree that these vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the joint statement reads.
The leaders also emphasized their firm support for Ukraine, stating that meaningful negotiations can only take place under conditions of a ceasefire or a reduction in the intensity of hostilities.
“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations,” the statement says.
The authors and signatories of the document include French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Trump-Putin peace negotiations
On August 6, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff visited Moscow to try to negotiate a diplomatic end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The visit took place two days before the deadline set by Trump for a peaceful resolution, after which sanctions against Russia were to be imposed starting August 8.
The day before, Trump announced that he would meet and hold talks with Putin in Alaska. Before this, the American leader did not rule out a territorial exchange between the countries.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Putin may present an ultimatum to Trump regarding Ukraine during the meeting - specifically, recognition of the occupied territories in exchange for Russian troop withdrawals from other regions.
In response, leaders of Ukraine and European countries have put forward their proposals for negotiations, rejecting Putin’s demands.
According to NBC News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may also be invited to the talks in Alaska.
