Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to European countries that have shown support for Ukraine in the lead-up to a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports Breaking News.
Mr Trump announced that Friday’s meeting in Alaska with President Putin would focus on finding a resolution to the conflict that has lasted more than three years.
On Saturday, key European leaders issued a statement underscoring that peace efforts must include Kyiv’s participation. This followed the White House’s confirmation that Mr Trump had agreed to the one-on-one meeting long sought by Russia, along with his remarks suggesting a possible peace agreement could involve “some swapping of territories”, reports Breaking News.
This sparked concerns that Kyiv might face pressure to concede land or accept limitations on its sovereignty.
A White House official, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on public comment, told The Associated Press that Mr Trump is still open to a summit involving both Russian and Ukrainian leaders. However, for now, he will proceed with the bilateral meeting requested by Mr Putin, reports Breaking News.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance met on Saturday with senior European and Ukrainian officials at UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s countryside retreat to explore ways to end the war.
Mr Trump had previously stated he would go ahead with a meeting with Mr Putin regardless of whether the Russian leader was willing to meet with Mr Zelensky.
The Trump-Putin meeting could mark a turning point in the war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has caused tens of thousands of deaths. However, there is no certainty the meeting will result in a ceasefire, given the significant divide between Moscow and Kyiv on peace terms, reports Breaking News.
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Saturday’s joint statement, signed by the president of the European Union along with leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Finland, called for a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine and emphasized the importance of “robust and credible” security guarantees.
“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the statement said, reports Breaking News.
“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 Europeans added.
A month-long US-led initiative to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine has so far failed to yield results, with Ukraine tentatively agreeing while Russia has held out for more favorable conditions, reports Breaking News.
Mr Trump also advanced a deadline for enforcing new sanctions against Russia and introducing secondary tariffs on nations buying Russian oil, should the Kremlin not make progress toward peace. The deadline was set for Friday. The White House did not provide a response regarding possible sanctions on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, the Kremlin repeated its demands that Ukraine relinquish territory, abandon efforts to join Nato, and accept constraints on its military capabilities, in return for the withdrawal of Russian forces from other parts of Ukraine, reports Breaking News.
On Saturday, Mr Zelensky stated that Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”.
Privately, Ukrainian officials had previously told the AP they might consider a peace agreement that acknowledges Ukraine’s current inability to reclaim lost areas by force. Still, Mr Zelensky on Saturday reaffirmed that officially conceding territory was non-negotiable, reports Breaking News.
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