EU leaders insist on consultations with Trump before meeting with Putin on war in Ukraine - report
Kyiv • UNN
European leaders are pushing for consultations with Trump to define Europe's "red lines" before his meeting with Putin in Alaska. The discussion will concern the war in Ukraine and a possible ceasefire.
European leaders, who state that Russia is an existential threat to their continent, are insisting on consultations with US President Donald Trump to mark Europe's "red lines" before his meeting with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine on Friday in Alaska, reports The Guardian, writes UNN.
Details
The call for official consultations is one of the expected outcomes of the emergency virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers, convened on Monday by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The meeting is also expected to put forward a demand for Russia to agree to a ceasefire and hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the publication writes.
"President Trump is right in saying that Russia must stop the war against Ukraine. The United States has the ability to force Russia into serious negotiations," Kallas said ahead of the EU meeting.
However, she said, "any agreement between the US and Russia must include Ukraine and the EU, as this is a security issue for both Ukraine and all of Europe."
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also emphasized Europe's importance, stating: "Europe is paying for Ukraine's defense, and we are supporting the Ukrainian state. This is a matter of existential European security interests. We appreciate President Trump's efforts, but we will make decisions here in Europe ourselves."
"To achieve a just peace, Russia needs to limit its military goals," he said.
The White House insists that the meeting in Alaska will be held to assess Putin's readiness to make concessions for peace, including accepting Western security guarantees for Ukraine, the publication writes.
Trump, who is said to have "shown increasing impatience with the Russian leader in recent months," has long stated that he sees no possibility of a ceasefire until he meets Putin in person.
EU plans strategy to influence Trump-Putin summit in Alaska - Politico11.08.25, 13:03 • 18393 views