European leaders are standing firm in support of Ukraine, insisting the country must be directly involved in any peace talks with Russia.
In a joint statement issued Sunday, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, and the European Commission emphasized:
“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
Their unified stance comes in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday—without Ukraine initially involved. The news has sparked alarm in Kyiv and among European capitals, who fear backroom deals could jeopardize Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded sharply, calling any agreement made without Ukraine “a dead decision.” Speaking via Telegram, he warned:
“We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated. Any decisions made without Ukraine are also decisions against peace.”
While a senior White House official later confirmed Trump’s openness to a three-way summit with both Putin and Zelensky, only the Trump-Putin meeting is currently confirmed—reportedly at Moscow’s request.
Trump has previously floated the idea of a separate negotiation with Putin, including the possibility of “territory swaps” as a compromise—suggesting that Ukraine might cede parts of its land in exchange for peace. The proposal has been met with fierce resistance from Kyiv. Zelensky accused Russia of using such talks to legitimize illegal territorial gains and to prepare for future military actions.
“The Russians are proposing to ‘exchange’ Ukrainian territory for Ukrainian territory, setting the stage for future aggression,”* he warned.
the White House is pressuring European leaders to consider a peace plan under which Russia retains Crimea and the full Donbas region—terms rejected outright by both Ukraine and its European allies.
In their joint declaration, European leaders reiterated their core principles:
“International borders must not be changed by force. Ukraine has the freedom to determine its own future.”
They vowed continued military, financial, and diplomatic support for Kyiv, rejecting any peace deal that compromises Ukraine’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.
