European leaders are gearing up for a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. This comes ahead of a high-stakes summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday
Key Details of the Virtual Meeting
- Participants: European leaders from Germany, France, Finland, the UK, Italy, and Poland, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Zelenskyy, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
- Agenda: Focus on "further options for action to put pressure on Russia" and "preparations for possible peace negotiations and related issues of territorial claims and security".
- Timing: The virtual summit will start at 2 pm German time with a one-hour session among European leaders, followed by a discussion with Trump at 3 pm, and a joint session with Ukraine's core military supporters at 4:30 pm
Stances on Ukraine and Russia
- European Position: European leaders back Zelenskyy's insistence that a halt to fighting on the front line should be the starting point for negotiations. They say any future land swaps should be for Ukraine to decide.
- Trump's Suggestion: Trump has suggested a peace deal could include "some swapping of territories," but Europeans see no sign Russia will offer anything to exchange.
- Concerns: Europeans worry that Putin will try to claim a political victory by portraying Ukraine as inflexible #Write2Earn
