Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders will hold a virtual meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, seeking to safeguard Kyiv’s interests ahead of his high-profile summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
The talks, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 1200 GMT, will include leaders from Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, the European Union, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The aim is to stress that any peace deal must involve Ukraine directly and respect its sovereignty.
Trump has called the Alaska summit a “listening exercise” but has also said both Ukraine and Russia will need to cede territory to end the war. Russian forces currently control nearly a fifth of Ukraine. European officials fear that unpredictable negotiations could yield an agreement that pressures Kyiv into an unfavorable settlement.
“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,” said a senior Eastern European official.
A Reuters survey of half a dozen senior European diplomats revealed concerns that Trump and Putin could strike a bilateral deal excluding Kyiv and the EU. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not rule it out but reiterated the summit was primarily for Trump to “hear what it will take to get to a deal.”
Following the joint call with Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President JD Vance will speak separately with European leaders, before a “coalition of the willing” meeting to coordinate support for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
On the battlefield, Russian forces have intensified their eastern offensive, tightening control around Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka. Zelenskyy warned that withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the Donbas, as Russia might demand, would dismantle vital defenses and pave the way for deeper incursions.
Territorial issues, he said, could only be addressed after a ceasefire and with firm security guarantees.
While a recent Gallup poll showed 69% of Ukrainians favor ending the war through negotiations, most reject any peace that involves sweeping concessions to Moscow.
Written By Rodney Mbua
