White House leaves Zelensky open in Alaska during Trump-Putin meeting

White House leaves Zelensky open in Alaska during Trump-Putin meeting

A diplomatic race erupted Saturday after President Donald Trump announced he would hold a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week. European leaders rushed to understand the terms of this meeting and ensure that Ukraine was not left out of talks about its future.

Diplomatic meetings in England

In the English countryside, European officials presented their concerns at a hastily arranged meeting with Vice President JD Vance. The leaders of several European nations said afterward that they supported Trump's diplomatic efforts but stressed that peace talks should only take place on the basis of a ceasefire and that Ukraine must be actively included in the negotiations.

The role of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not named as a participant in the Alaska summit scheduled to take place between Trump and Putin on Friday. However, the White House has not completely ruled out the possibility of including Zelensky in some talks. A White House official stressed that anything involving Zelensky will likely take place after the Trump-Putin meeting.

Uncertain details of the summit

The summit emerged very quickly and the details are still in flux. An exact location for the meeting has not yet been announced. A White House official said Trump was "open to a trilateral summit with both leaders" but the White House was planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.

Reactions from European heads of state

Since Trump announced that he wanted to meet with Putin, there have been intensive behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to get US allies on board. However, Trump's announcement did not specify whether or when Zelensky would be included in the trial. Meanwhile, Zelensky and European leaders have made it abundantly clear that Ukraine must be part of any discussion about ending the war.

Important demands from Europe

At Saturday's meeting, hosted by Vance at the British foreign minister's country home, European officials laid out their demands and wanted more information from U.S. officials about the plan that Putin presented to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday. They emphasized several points: the need for Ukraine to be involved in the talks, that a ceasefire comes before other steps, and that if Ukraine makes territorial concessions, Russia must also return land it currently occupies.

Joint declaration by the European heads of state

A statement from the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Finland welcomed "Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation's war and achieve a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine." However, they noted that their terms for a peace plan differed from those proposed by Putin, as he sought significant territorial concessions.

Demands to secure Ukraine

"Ukraine has the right to decide its own fate. Significant negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or a reduction in hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," the joint statement read. "We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point for negotiations."

Unclear details about territorial issues

The statement also said that any diplomatic agreement to end the war must include “robust and credible security guarantees” that allow Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Those terms represented an attempt by European leaders to respond to the rapidly expanding diplomacy that was set in motion with Witkoff's meeting in Moscow this week.

Diplomatic negotiations and progress

Asked by reporters for details on the terms of the deal, Trump suggested Friday that a "swap of territories" could be possible. According to the Europeans, Putin proposed a plan that would involve the entire eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass, which Russia partially occupies. However, the exact details of the plan remained unclear, even after several follow-up meetings between the Europeans and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff.

Concerns about territorial returns

The future of the two other regions that are in Moscow's sights - Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which Russia only partially occupies - caused great confusion. The status of future US security guarantees also remained unclear, the officials reported. That left European leaders, who had expressed concerns about a possible Ukraine surrender of territory, rushing to find more information about the terms of a ceasefire.

Mutual understanding and support

To address some of those concerns, Vance convened a several-hour meeting Saturday with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and European and Ukrainian officials to present the U.S. perspective on the negotiations and American officials' understanding of Russia's stance. Witkoff attended the meeting virtually. A US official told CNN that "significant progress" had been made but it remained unclear whether the Europeans or Ukraine had agreed ahead of Friday's crucial meeting.

Optimistic statements from Zelensky

After Saturday's meeting, Zelensky said he believed the US was listening. "Our arguments will be heard. The dangers will be taken into account," he said in a speech.