European leaders and Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy have held a video conference with US President, Donald Trump, ahead of Friday’s summit with Russian President, Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
The discussion focused on the war before Trump’s meeting with his Russian counterpart on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Zelenskyy after the meeting, German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz said that Europe’s leaders are doing everything to ensure an upcoming meeting between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin “goes the right way,” adding that there could be “major decisions” made during the summit.
Merz also said that European leaders wanted to make sure they agreed with Trump on “the attainable goals for Friday.”
“We made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table at the next meeting. We want things to go in the right sequence: We want a ceasefire at the very beginning, and then a framework agreement must be drawn up. If Ukraine is prepared to talk about territorial negotiations, then we need to make sure that there are no violent changes to the border.”
Friedrich Merz
The German Chancellor iterated the need for robust security guarantees for Kyiv and the need to be Ukrainian forces there in order to defend the sovereignty of the country, and “they also need to be able to depend on Western aid for that.”
He expressed the need to make sure that EU and Ukrainian security interests are maintained in the Trump-Putin meeting to be held in Anchorage, Alaska “and that is the message that we wanted to convey to President Trump.”
Additionally, Merz said that negotiations remain part of a common transatlantic strategy, saying, “If there is no movement on the Russian side in Alaska, then the United States, we, and Europeans should and must increase the pressure.”
“President Trump knows this position, he shares it very extensively and therefore I can say: We have had a really exceptionally constructive and good conversation with each other.”
Friedrich Merz
Zelenskyy Insists On Ceasefire First And Security Guarantees
In comments made after the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there should be a “ceasefire first, then security guarantees – real security guarantees,” adding that Trump has “expressed his support.”
Zelenskyy also said of his conditions for peace that Russia cannot have a veto as to European or NATO perspectives against Ukraine. He reiterated that Ukraine and their European allies want one thing: “Peace in Ukraine, peace in Europe.”
Zelenskyy also cast doubt on the sincerity of Putin’s interest in peace and called for more sanctions on Russia. “Sanctions should be strengthened if Russia will not go for a ceasefire in Alaska,” he said.
Zelenskyy added that he believes “Putin is bluffing” about the impact of sanctions and that “sanctions are hitting Russia’s war economy hard.”
“Putin definitely does not want peace; he wants to occupy Ukraine. Putin cannot fool anyone.
“He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Moreover, Zelenskyy emphasized that his position remains unchanged on the potential for ceding land in the Donbas.
“Any issue which deals with the territorial integrity of Ukraine cannot be discussed just like that, without looking at our constitution and the will of our people.
“As to our principles, as to our territorial integrity, in the end, will be decided on the level of leaders. Without Ukraine (at the table), it’s impossible to achieve.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy, who said yesterday that he has “no right to” surrender his country’s land, iterated, “My position is not changing.”
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