
Europe promises to ‘stand firmly’ with Ukraine as Trump, Putin plan summit
Al Jazeera
Leaders of six European nations and the EU call for more pressure on Russia before Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.
European leaders have welcomed plans by United States President Donald Trump to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on ending the war in Ukraine, but called for continued support for Kyiv and pressure on Moscow to achieve a just and lasting peace.
The statement by France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the European Commission late on Saturday came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that Kyiv will not surrender land to Russia to buy peace.
Trump, who has promised to end the three-year war, plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, saying the parties were close to a deal that could resolve the conflict.
Details of a potential agreement have not been announced, but Trump said it would involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both”. It could require Ukraine to surrender significant parts of its territory, an outcome Zelenskyy and his European allies say would only encourage Russian aggression.
The European leaders, in their joint statement, stressed their belief that the only approach to end the war successfully required active diplomacy, support for Ukraine, as well as pressure on Russia.













