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EU leaders say Ukraine should have freedom to decide its future ahead of Trump-Putin summit EU leaders defend Ukraine’s freedom to decide future ahead of Trump-Putin summit
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Statement on Ukrainian sovereignty endorsed by all European Union leaders except for Hungary’s Viktor Orbán Statement on Ukrainian sovereignty signed by all EU leaders except for Viktor Orbán before call with Trump
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All but one of the European heads of state and government have said that Ukrainians must have the freedom to decide their future, ahead of a high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. European Union leaders made a rallying call to defend Ukraine’s freedom to decide its own future in advance of their virtual summit with Donald Trump – convened to discuss US strategy before the president’s talks with Vladimir Putin on Friday.
“Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the leaders said, adding that “we share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.” With the exception of Hungary, all EU leaders signed a joint statement, with Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, also calling for the Ukrainian president, Volodmyr Zelenskyy, to attend the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Friday.
The statement, which was agreed late on Monday and published on Tuesday, was endorsed by leaders of all EU member countries except Hungary. Trump insists his meeting with Putin is a “feel-out” to gauge the Russian leader’s willingness to compromise, but European leaders fear Trump will be lured into a joint declaration with Moscow that involves irretrievable concessions before substantive talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Europeans are attempting to exert some influence over the Friday meeting that they have been sidelined from. It remains unclear whether even Ukraine will take part. On Monday, Trump confirmed that he and the Russian president would discuss “land swapping” when they meet. Putin may also use the meeting to advance a wider agenda of normalisation of relations between the US and Russia, a development that would start to lock Trump into economic co-operation with Moscow rather than confrontation.
The Europeans and Ukraine are wary that Putin, who has waged the biggest land war in Europe since 1945, might secure favourable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them. The EU leaders said: “Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” adding: “We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.
Tuesday’s statement was also meant to be a demonstration of European unity. However, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, who is Putin’s closest ally in Europe and has tried to block EU support for Ukraine, did not endorse it, the only one of the 27 leaders who refused to do so. “A Ukraine capable of defending itself effectively is an integral part of any future security guarantees.” They added that EU nations were ready to contribute further to security guarantees.
In the statement early on Tuesday, the leaders said they “welcome the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”. But, they underlined, “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.” The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, Putin’s longstanding ally in Europe, mocked the statement from his EU counterparts, saying: “The statement attempts to set conditions for a meeting to which leaders of the EU were not invited. The fact that the EU was left on the sidelines is sad enough as it is. The only thing that could make things worse is if we started providing instructions from the bench.” Denying he was Putin’s puppet, he added: “The only sensible action for EU leaders is to initiate an EU-Russia summit, based on the example of the US-Russia meeting.”
“A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force,” they said. Zelenskyy said there was no sign of Russia seeking peace, and said it was instead preparing a fresh military offensive. Ukraine admitted it was trying to prevent a decisive Russian breakthrough in the north of the Donetsk region.
Zelenskyy has rejected the idea that Ukraine must commit to give up land to secure a ceasefire. Russia holds shaky control over four of the country’s regions, two in the country’s east and two in the south. European leaders are clinging to the hope that Trump’s recent impatience with Putin for failing to agree a 30-day ceasefire will not dissolve on contact with the Russian leader. Recent signs suggested Trump was slowly hardening his stance towards Russia, including resuming intelligence co-operation with Ukraine, a willingness to supply arms for Ukraine if bought by the EU and the threat of secondary sanctions against countries that traded in Russian oil.
Trump, usually fond of boasting of his deal-making skills, played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska but said he expected “constructive conversations” with Putin. But Europe’s painstaking diplomatic progress with Trump, including a successful Nato summit in June, now looks to be at risk.
“This is really a feel-out meeting a little bit,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We’re going to see what he has in mind and if it’s a fair deal, I’ll reveal it to the European Union leaders and to Nato leaders and also to President Zelensky,” Trump said. “I may say – lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal.” Trump has said any peace deal would involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Russia and Ukraine, a phrasing that hides the reality that virtually all the territory in question is Ukrainian-held. Russia has yet to specify if it will hand back any of the territory it has seized by force since it started launched its first military attacks than 12 years ago.
Trump was also critical of Zelenskyy on Monday, noting that Ukraine’s leader had been in power for the duration of the war and said “nothing happened” during that time. “Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the European leaders said. They added: “We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.”
Europeans leaders will make a fresh attempt to rally Trump to Ukraine’s cause on Wednesday at virtual meetings convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump did not confirm whether he would take part, but he did say: “I’m going to get everybody’s ideas” before meeting with Putin. Kallas added: “The sequencing of the steps is important. First, an unconditional ceasefire with a strong monitoring system and ironclad security guarantees.”
With Reuters and the Associated Press In the statement early on Tuesday, the leaders were careful not to express criticism of Trump, saying they welcomed “the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”.
They added: “A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force,” they said.
Trump played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska but said he anticipated “constructive conversations” with Putin, a piece of expectation management that is unlikely to reassure European leaders.
“This is really a feel-out meeting a little bit,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We’re going to see what he has in mind and if it’s a fair deal, I’ll reveal it to the European Union leaders and to Nato leaders and also to President Zelenskyy,” Trump said. “I may say: ‘Lots of luck, keep fighting.’ Or I may say: ‘We can make a deal.’”
Trump was also critical of Zelenskyy on Monday, noting that Ukraine’s leader had been in power for the duration of the war and said “nothing happened” during that time. He has made it clear that he sees no prospect of Ukraine regaining territory it has lost, and is frustrated that European leaders, worried about Ukrainian morale, remain so reluctant to acknowledge this reality in public. Zelenskyy refers to a de facto loss of territory, but will refuse to accept the loss in any peace treaty.