European allies insist Ukraine must lead peace talks with Russia
European allies have thrown their weight firmly behind Ukraine, declaring that any negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia must include Kyiv as a central party.
In a joint statement issued ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland, and the European Commission stressed that international borders cannot be altered by force and that Ukraine has the sovereign right to decide its own future.
The statement comes amid speculation that Washington is exploring a peace framework that could see Russia retain control of Crimea and take full possession of the Donbas region, a proposal reported by the media as being quietly circulated among European capitals.
A White House official has confirmed that Trump is open to a trilateral summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but for now, the Alaska meeting remains a bilateral Trump–Putin engagement at Moscow’s request.
Zelensky has strongly rejected any arrangement that excludes Kyiv, warning that such moves would undermine peace rather than advance it.
He has also denounced suggestions of territorial concessions, accusing Russia of seeking positions from which to restart hostilities in the future.
Putin has so far declined to meet Zelensky directly, and the two leaders have not spoken face-to-face since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than three years ago.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Alaska talks, European leaders reiterated their commitment to continue supporting Ukraine diplomatically, militarily, and financially, insisting that peace must be negotiated on terms acceptable to Kyiv.
