Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to host a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Alaska on August 15. Where Kyiv fears President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump may try to dictate terms for ending the 3-1/2-year war.
While the White House has confirmed a bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin, Zelensky’s participation remains under discussion.
Trump, who for weeks had been threatening new sanctions against Russia for failing to halt the war, announced instead on Friday that he would meet Putin on August 15 in Alaska.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Sunday that Berlin believes Zelensky will attend the summit and is working with Washington to secure his involvement.
"We hope and assume that the Ukrainian government will be involved in this new initiative," Merz said in an interview, adding that a ceasefire could be on the table if all parties meet.
The planned summit aims to address the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its third year, with Washington, Berlin, and Brussels pushing for peace negotiations. However, Putin has reiterated that Ukraine must recognize Russia’s territorial claims in eastern Ukraine, something Kyiv has rejected.
Zelenskiy says any decisions taken without Ukraine will be "stillborn" and unworkable. On Saturday the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said any diplomatic solution must protect the security interests of Ukraine and Europe.
"The U.S. has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday. "Any deal between the U.S. and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine’s and the whole of Europe’s security."
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy has called an online emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers today to discuss the bloc’s stance and reinforce support for Ukraine. "All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," she said.
Ukraine has been advocating for a three-way summit, believing it is the most effective way to secure meaningful progress toward peace.
