European leaders tentatively hopeful after call with Trump ahead of Ukraine summit
European leaders looked cautiously optimistic after holding a virtual meeting with Donald Trump on Wednesday two days before meeting the Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska to end the war in Ukraine.
He said Trump’s target for Europeans was to obtain a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
In addition, according to French Emmanuel Macron, with the participation of Volodymyr Zelensky, he decided that any regional problem should be decided and security guarantees should be part of the agreement.
Talking with Trump, he allowed him to “clarify his intentions” and gave Europeans a chance to “express our expectations”, Mac Macron said.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland, and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte.
Europeans left the hurriedly organized summit in Alaska, and today phone calls were a final attempt to prioritize the interests of Ukraine and the security of the continent in Trump’s mind.
It seemed to some extent it worked. Trump evaluated the meeting as “ten” on Wednesday evening and said he would face “very violent” results as long as Russia did not stop the war in Ukraine.
He also said that if the meeting on Friday goes well, he will try to organize a “fast second” containing both Putin and Zelensky.
Nevertheless, European leaders re -expressed the need for Kiev’s need to participate in any final decision – betrayed a underlying irritability that Putin ultimately convinced Trump to accept his territory of Ukraine in exchange for a ceasefire.
The most important thing for Europe that Donald Trump cannot trust Russia, Don Donald Tusk said, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leaders, “Ukraine’s follow -up meetings should be on the table,” he said.
Merz, the Russian side refused to make any concessions, “Then the United States and us Europeans should increase pressure and increase the pressure,” Merz said.
Since the US-Russian Summit was announced last week, Trump has made a few references to the “black swap” between Kiev and Moscow, and in the Ukraine and beyond, he has created serious concerns and has been able to give Putin’s long-standing demand to seize large areas of the Ukraine region.
On Wednesday morning, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexey Fadaev reiterated that Russia’s attitude has not changed since Putin put forward in June 2024.
At that time, Putin said that the Ukrainian government of a ceasefire would begin at the moment the Ukrainian government was withdrawn from the four regions partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. He also said that Ukraine should officially give up its efforts to participate in the NATO military alliance.
These are maximalist demands that neither KYIV nor European partners see applicable.
Zelensky said he was convinced that Russia will use any region that is allowed to be kept as a jumpboard for future invasions.
One way to resist this threat can be security guarantees designed as commitments to ensure the long -term defense of Ukraine.
In the statements published after the telephone conversation with Trump, a few European leaders said that such guarantees were mentioned and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in this respect “real progress”.
He also praised Trump’s efforts to reach an agreement: “This conflict continues for three and bit years, and in fact a suitable solution, we have no place near a suitable way to bring it to the ceasefire.
He continued: “Now we have this chance because of the work of the President.”
Since spring, Britain and France have been aimed at efforts called “willing coalition”, a group of nations that promises to determine Russia from invading Ukraine further.
On Wednesday, the group said that it was “ready to play an active role”, including distributing a guarantee force after the end of hostilities – but the shape, composition and role of such a power is still unclear.
Meanwhile, on the front front, Russia’s summer attack continues to print. Zelensky referred to the sudden progress of the Moscow troops near Dobropilla, claiming that Putin’s sanctions were not effective in damaging the Russian economy.
Tr I told Trump and our European allies that Putin was bluffing, Uk Ukrainian President called on Russia to apply “more pressure”.
Trump admitted that he could not stop killing civilians in Ukraine even when he met Putin face to face.
“I did that conversation with him … But then I go home and see that a rocket hit a nursing home or an apartment and that people are dead on the street.
“So I think the answer is probably no.”
