European leaders have voiced strong support for Ukraine ahead of proposed peace discussions between US presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, insisting that Kyiv must be part of any negotiations aimed at ending the war.
In a joint statement released late Saturday, leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland, and the European Commission emphasised that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.” The statement underlined that international borders “must not be changed by force” and called for the current line of contact to be the starting point for any talks.
The development comes amid concerns in Kyiv that Ukraine may be excluded from its own peace discussions. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that any agreements struck without Ukraine’s participation would amount to “dead decisions.”
“We welcome President Trump’s work to stop the killing in Ukraine,” the European leaders said, while making it clear that diplomatic efforts should not bypass Ukraine’s sovereignty and decision-making.
Trump, who is scheduled to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, has reportedly expressed willingness to hold a trilateral meeting with both Putin and Zelensky. However, a White House official confirmed that the initial request for a bilateral meeting came from the Russian leader, and at present, only Trump and Putin are slated to attend.
The Alaska summit will mark a significant diplomatic moment, with global attention on whether the talks can make tangible progress towards ending the conflict, now well into its third year.
–Input WAM
