European and Ukrainian leaders will hold a virtual meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, seeking to dissuade him from endorsing any peace plan with Moscow that could undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The talks come two days before Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021. Trump has described the gathering as a “feel-out” session in his bid to end the war, but his suggestion that both sides must cede land has alarmed Kyiv and European capitals.
Russian forces already occupy nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory, and senior European officials fear the summit could produce decisions made without Ukraine’s input. “We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen—engaging with U.S. partners and staying coordinated and united on the European side,” one senior eastern European official said, as reported in Reuters.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and his Czech counterpart, Jan Lipavsky visit a makeshift memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, at the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
A Delicate Diplomatic Balance
The video conference, scheduled for 1200 GMT, will include Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, leaders from Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, the European Union, and NATO’s secretary general. It will be hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
European leaders have cautiously welcomed Trump’s peace efforts while repeatedly stressing that no agreement should be reached about Ukraine without Ukraine’s direct participation. Some fear that, in his pursuit of a ceasefire, Trump could be persuaded by Putin to accept terms detrimental to European security.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the Alaska meeting as a “listening exercise” for Trump, signalling limited expectations for immediate progress.
Following the joint call, Trump and Vice President JD Vance are set to speak with European leaders in a separate online meeting, followed by a session of the “coalition of the willing” — countries planning long-term support for Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached.
Kyiv’s Red Lines
Ahead of the calls, Zelenskiy made clear that Ukraine will not agree to any deal requiring the withdrawal of its forces from the eastern Donbas region, a stronghold of defensive positions. “Territorial issues can only be discussed once a ceasefire is in place and Ukraine has received security guarantees,” he said.
A drone view shows the ruins of residential buildings in the abandoned town of Marinka (Maryinka), which was destroyed in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Donetsk region, a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine, August 7, 2025. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
His warning comes as Russian troops intensify their assault in eastern Ukraine, tightening control over Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka. The battlefield escalation adds urgency to Wednesday’s talks, as Kyiv seeks to rally European unity before Trump sits down with Putin.
While a recent Gallup poll showed that 69% of Ukrainians support a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible, most reject peace “at any cost” if it means major concessions to Russia.
