European Leaders Urge Inclusion of Ukraine in Peace Talks with Russia
As a significant diplomatic meeting looms in Alaska, European leaders are emphasizing the crucial inclusion of Ukraine in any discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict with Russia. The meeting, set between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, is being closely watched by European nations keen on ensuring Ukraine has a say in its future.
Among the prominent voices advocating for Ukraine’s involvement are French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. These leaders have expressed their support for U.S. efforts to “stop the killing in Ukraine,” but insist that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
In a joint statement released recently, the leaders declared, “We are convinced that only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine, and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed.”
Accompanying their call for inclusive talks, the European leaders emphasized the importance of establishing “robust and credible security guarantees” to aid Ukraine in defending its territory.
This unified stance comes on the heels of a gathering in London, where U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Vice President JD Vance met with Ukrainian and European officials. The discussion aimed to bolster support for Ukraine ahead of the Trump-Putin summit scheduled for Friday.
Vice President Vance, in an interview prior to his overseas engagements, characterized the upcoming Alaska meeting as a “major breakthrough for American diplomacy.” He explained the intention is to “find some negotiated settlement that the Ukrainians and the Russians can live with where they can live in relative peace, where the killing stops.”
While acknowledging that neither side may be fully satisfied with the outcome, Vance underscored the importance of ending the conflict. “It’s not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians, probably, at the end of the day, are going to be unhappy with it,” he noted during a conversation on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
Vance revealed that the summit is the result of prolonged diplomatic efforts by the U.S. to “break the logjam” in the conflict. He added, “We’re at a point now … we’re now trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things like that, around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict,” referring to Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
While President Zelenskyy has expressed his support for Trump’s peace endeavors, his participation in the meeting remains uncertain. Zelenskyy has consistently reaffirmed that Ukraine will not concede any territory and insists that the onus is on Russia to cease hostilities.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy stated, “The Ukrainian people deserve peace. But all partners must understand what a dignified peace is. This war must be brought to an end — and Russia must end it. Russia started it and is dragging it out, ignoring all deadlines, and that is the problem, not something else,” as reported on the official website. “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier.”
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
