European leaders issued a joint statement after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska yesterday.
The statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
It said Trump briefed them, along with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, about his summit with Putin, and that European leaders “support his efforts to stop the war.”
“As President Trump has said, ‘No deal until there is a deal.’ In his vision, the next step must now be further negotiations, including with President Zelensky, with whom he will meet soon. We also stand ready to work with President Trump and President Zelensky in a trilateral summit, with the support of Europe,” it said.
They further commented on the circumstances surrounding the potential end of the war in Ukraine.
“We clearly emphasize that Ukraine must have strong security guarantees in order to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome President Trump’s statement that the United States is ready to provide security guarantees. The coalition of the willing is ready to play an active role. There must be no restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces or on their cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto over Ukraine’s path towards the EU and NATO,” the European leaders’ statement said.
They emphasized in particular that “it is up to Ukraine to make decisions about its territory” and that “internationally recognized borders cannot be changed by force.”
“Our support for Ukraine will continue. We are determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong, with the aim of ending the fighting and achieving a just and lasting peace. As long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we are ready to keep up the pressure on Russia. We will continue to strengthen sanctions and broader economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy until a just and lasting peace is achieved,” it said.
Finally, the European leaders said that “Ukraine can count on unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that will protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe.”
