Ukraine's European allies say peace talks must include Kyiv
European allies have rallied behind Ukraine in a renewed surge of support, insisting that any peace talks with Russia must include Kyiv.
"The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," said a joint statement issued by the leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission.
European allies insist Ukraine peace talks including Kyiv is essential amid renewed efforts by Trump Putin Zelensky Alaska meeting to end conflict. Leaders reject any deal altering borders by force, stressing continued support against Russian moves on Donbas Crimea territorial dispute resolution.
Their statement came after US President Donald Trump announced he would meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday in a renewed effort to end the war.
Concerned that Ukraine will not be invited to its own peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that any agreements without Kyiv would amount to "dead decisions". Read More : Bridges collapse in 2 Russian regions bordering Ukraine, 7 dead Late on Saturday, a White House official said that Trump would be willing to hold a trilateral meeting with both Putin and Zelensky - but for now, it remains just the two of them, as initially requested by the Russian leader.
Trump has previously suggested that he could start by meeting only with Putin, telling reporters he planned to "start off with Russia." But the US president also said that he believed "we have a shot at" organising a trilateral meeting with both Putin and Zelensky.
Whether Putin would agree to this is unclear - he has refused several opportunities to hold direct talks, and the two leaders have not met face-to-face since Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
Speaking on Friday, Trump also suggested that there "will be some swapping of territories" in order for Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement - to which Zelensky reacted strongly.
"We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated," he said on Telegram. "Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace."
"The Russians... still impose the idea of 'exchanging' Ukrainian territory for Ukrainian territory, with consequences that guarantee nothing but more convenient positions for the Russians to resume the war," he added defiantly.
CBS, the BBC's US media partner, has reported that the White House is trying to sway European allies to accept an agreement that would include Russia taking the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, and keeping the Crimean Peninsula.
The European leaders, in their statement released late on Saturday night, stressed that "international borders must not be changed by force".
"Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny," they said, stressing that their nations would continue to support Ukraine diplomatically, militarily and financially.
The leaders also said that a "diplomatic solution" is critical, not just to protect Ukraine - but also Europe's security.
It's not just Ukraine that is struggling to be part of the Alaska meeting.
European allies are also worried about their lack of influence over the outcome of any agreement that Trump could reach with Putin.
In a post on X on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron raised concerns about Russia and the US excluding European involvement.
"Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake," he wrote.
Europe has taken a tough approach to Moscow - including imposing sanctions against Russian entities and providing military aid for Ukraine.
Zelensky said he told Macron in a phone call on Saturday that the key was to make sure "the Russians do not get to deceive anyone again".
"We all need a genuine end to the war and reliable security foundations for Ukraine and other European nations," the Ukrainian leader said.
Source: www.bbc.com
