Ukraine and Europe call on Trump to make peace without them

Ukraine and Europe call on Trump to make peace without them

European leaders urged U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday not to sign a unilateral peace deal for Ukraine during his upcoming bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. This came amid growing concerns that Putin, a former KGB spy, might try to get Trump to see the war on his terms.

Virtual summit on Ukraine

Chancellor Friedrich Merz had called a virtual summit with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders. In a joint statement, Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized four key points.

Key points of the statement

First, meaningful peace talks can only take place after a ceasefire or a “permanent and significant cessation of hostilities.” Second, Russia faces new sanctions if it does not agree to a ceasefire in Alaska. Third, international borders must not be changed by force. Fourth, Ukraine must receive “robust and credible” security guarantees.

"There must be no restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces or their cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto right over Ukraine's path to the EU and NATO," the statement said.

Trump is optimistic

Trump, who described the call as "very good," told reporters that after a successful summit with Putin, a follow-up meeting between the Russian president and Zelensky might take place "almost immediately." "There's a very good chance we'll have a second meeting that will be more productive than the first," Trump said during an appearance at the Kennedy Center.

After the virtual meeting, Merz stated that “we made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table at the next meeting.” He added: “We want things to happen in the right order: we want a ceasefire at the start and then a framework agreement needs to be drafted.”

A new pressure on Russia

Zelensky confirmed that Trump had expressed support for Europe's demand for an initial ceasefire before negotiations toward a full agreement. He also stressed that new sanctions should be imposed on Russia if Putin leaves Alaska without agreeing to a ceasefire. Although Trump said bluntly on Monday that "some territorial changes will take place," Merz stressed that legal recognition of Ukrainian territories "is not up for discussion."

Putin's uncompromising plans

At a meeting in Moscow last week, Putin proposed a plan that would require Ukraine to cede the eastern Donbass region, most of which is occupied, in exchange for a ceasefire. The exact details of the plan have been unclear since it was first reported.

The effects of sanctions

Last week, Trump gave Putin an Aug. 8 deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions on his "shadow fleet," which allows Moscow to evade sanctions on its oil exports and finance the war. After the deadline passed without consequences, Trump announced the upcoming summit with Putin for this Friday.

Putin has long tried to dismiss the impact of sanctions. But Zelensky said on Wednesday that the Russian leader was bluffing. “The sanctions are hitting Russia’s war economy hard,” he said after the phone call with Trump. “Putin can’t fool anyone.” A European official familiar with the conversation said it appeared there was a "threat" of secondary sanctions against Russia if talks in Alaska were inconclusive.

“It is clear that the India sanctions have had an impact,” the official added. Trump had announced that he would impose an additional 25% tariff on India's purchase of Russian oil. This tariff is expected to come into force in the coming weeks.