European and Ukrainian leaders will hold talks with US President Donald Trump at a virtual meeting on Wednesday ahead of his summit with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin, Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
The unpredictability of the Trump-Putin summit results has heightened European fears that the US and Russian leaders could make far-reaching decisions and even try to force Ukraine into an unfavorable agreement.
"We are now focused on preventing this from happening by engaging with American partners and maintaining coordination and unity on the European side. There is still plenty of time until Friday," said a senior official from Eastern Europe.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration tempered expectations for significant progress toward a ceasefire, calling its meeting with Putin in Alaska an "exercise in listening."
White House calls Trump-Putin summit in Alaska "listening exercise"13.08.25, 04:00 • [views_4794]
The video conference between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, and the European Union is expected to take place at 12:00 GMT (15:00 Kyiv time)
The NATO Secretary General will also attend the conference, organized by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Ukraine, as the publication points out, hopes that this meeting will be - at least in part - a European counterweight to the Alaska summit.
Half a dozen senior European officials told Reuters they saw a risk of an agreement being reached that would be unfavorable to Europe and Ukraine's security. They said European unity would be vital in this case.
A source familiar with internal US discussions said it could not be ruled out that Trump would seek a deal directly with Putin, without involving Ukraine or Europe. However, the source expressed doubts about this, saying it could cause problems with Ukraine and the EU.
After the phone call, Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance are expected to speak with European leaders at a separate online meeting at 13:00 GMT (16:00 Kyiv time)
- reported a German official.
Three meetings are needed to achieve a ceasefire result - Zelenskyy
Three meetings are needed to achieve a ceasefire - Zelenskyy12.08.25, 22:53 • [views_5050]
This, he told reporters on Tuesday, would deprive Ukraine of a large defensive network in the region, making it easier for Russia to launch a new offensive deeper into Ukraine in the future.
He added that territorial issues could only be discussed after a ceasefire was established and security guarantees were provided to Ukraine.
Donbas has always been considered by Russians as a springboard for an offensive in Ukraine - Zelenskyy