Europe Stresses Protection of Ukrainian Interests Ahead of US–Russia Talks

AP

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

European leaders on Saturday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, while underscoring the need to maintain pressure on Moscow and safeguard both Ukrainian and European security interests.

President Trump is scheduled to meet President Putin in Alaska on Friday, 15 August 2025, saying that the parties – including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – are close to reaching a deal that could resolve the three-and-a-half-year conflict. While no details of a potential agreement have been announced, Trump suggested it would involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both”.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and representatives of Ukraine and European allies at Chevening House in Kent to discuss the U.S. president’s peace initiative.

In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Finland, and the President of the European Commission welcomed Trump’s efforts but emphasised that any diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.

“These vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement read. “The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”

The leaders reaffirmed that “international borders must not be changed by force” and said negotiations should begin from the current line of contact, but only in the context of a ceasefire or a reduction in hostilities.

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Zelenskyy, who took part in the talks, expressed gratitude for the constructive approach of European leaders and U.S. officials. “A ceasefire is necessary – but the front line is not a border,” Yermak wrote on X, reiterating Kyiv’s rejection of any territorial concessions to Russia.

According to The Wall Street Journal, European representatives presented a counterproposal, reportedly calling for a ceasefire before any other steps, and stipulating that any territorial exchange must be reciprocal and accompanied by firm security guarantees. “You can’t start a process by ceding territory in the middle of fighting,” one European negotiator was quoted as saying.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone, pledging to work towards a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and to provide “unwavering support” for President  Zelenskyy, while also welcoming President Trump’s efforts to end the fighting.

Moscow claims sovereignty over four Ukrainian regions – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – as well as Crimea, annexed in 2014. However, Russian forces do not fully control all of these territories and have demanded that Ukraine withdraw from areas it still holds.

Ukraine maintains a small presence in Russia’s Kursk region, which its forces entered a year ago to gain leverage in negotiations. Russia claims to have expelled Ukrainian troops from Kursk in April.



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