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US President Donald Trump plans to hold talks with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin about the future of Ukraine in the coming days. According to some media reports, the Ukrainian president's participation is still open, but will be treated as a secondary priority. Meanwhile, European allies are supporting Kiev.
Ahead of the planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, the Ukrainian leadership and its European allies stressed the limits of their willingness to compromise.
International borders should not be changed by force, said a joint statement by Germany, France, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Finland and the EU Commission. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his rejection of territorial concessions to Russia and urged to be included in negotiations on Ukraine's future.
Meaningful negotiations are only possible "within the framework of a ceasefire or a reduction in hostilities," the Europeans reiterated.
The current front line can only be “a starting point for negotiations.” Moreover, Ukraine needs strong and reliable security guarantees.
"Ukraine has the freedom to decide its own destiny," the statement said. Zelensky described the meeting as constructive. "All our arguments were heard," the Ukrainian president said afterward.
The White House announced Saturday evening that US President Trump is open to a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky, but for now, a spokesperson said, they are planning "the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin."
US broadcaster CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported that anything to do with Zelensky is likely to happen after the meeting between Trump and Putin. The summit was quickly arranged and details have not yet been finalized. The exact location has not yet been announced.
Trump and Putin have agreed to a summit in Alaska on August 15. The US president intends to sign a peace agreement that includes territorial concessions from Ukraine. Zelensky categorically rejects this. Zelensky stated that Ukrainians would not surrender any territory to the invaders.
"There will be a mutually beneficial exchange of territory," Trump said on Friday.
According to him, Ukraine and Russia are close to a ceasefire agreement. Russia confirmed the summit between Trump and Putin, but did not provide any details on a possible agreement to end the fighting.
The two presidents will focus on discussing options for a "long-term peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis," Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said in Moscow.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has called for Kiev's participation in negotiations to end the war. "The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined jointly and only jointly with Ukraine; this is a matter of principle," Zelensky said.
Putin, who ordered the invasion of the neighboring country in 2022, claims the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, as well as the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in 2014. Bloomberg News reported that US and Russian negotiators were working on an agreement to codify Russia's gains.
A White House official described the Bloomberg report as speculation. A Kremlin spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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