Zelenskiy, EU Leaders To Confer With Trump Before Putin Talks
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will hold a video meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, aiming to prevent any deal with Russia that undermines Kyiv’s interests ahead of Trump’s Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin.
The video call will bring together Zelenskiy, Trump, NATO’s secretary general, and the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, and the European Union, under the coordination of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. European officials fear that Trump, who has suggested both sides must cede land, could bypass Ukraine and the EU in negotiations with Putin. According to Reuters sources, some in Europe see a risk of an agreement that weakens European security, while the White House insists the Alaska meeting is only an opportunity to hear positions from both sides.
Zelenskiy has publicly ruled out any deal requiring Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas region, warning it would dismantle a key defensive network and enable further Russian advances. He insists that territorial matters can only be addressed after a ceasefire and with firm security guarantees. The talks come as Russian forces intensify operations in eastern Ukraine, tightening control around Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka. A recent Gallup poll found that while most Ukrainians want the war to end through negotiations, they reject peace terms that entail major concessions.