President Trump is gearing up to meet European leaders ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Europe wants to make it clear: any deal Trump strikes should not come at their expense, or the expense of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Notably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be attending the summit.
The meetings are meant to lay down Europe’s red lines for Trump in an effort to ensure their security is in the president's consideration on Friday. According to The Wall Street Journal, that means a ceasefire must be included as the first step in the deal, that any territorial swaps must be reciprocal and reflect current front lines, and that Ukraine must walk away with a long-term security guarantee. For Zelenksyy, this means nothing short of full NATO membership, something Putin will not agree to. European leaders are also expected to try and persuade Trump to allow European leaders and President Zelensky to attend the summit, although that seems unlikely.
Mark Rutte, head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said in a Sunday CBS interview that Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian territory should not be legally recognized. He said the talks will center on “how to deal with the factual situation that the Russians are holding, at this moment, Ukrainian territory.” Zelensky does not want to negotiate by ceding captured Ukrainian territory to the Russians, something likely to occur in whatever deal is come to,
JD Vance on Sunday told Fox News that Zelensky would not be included in the first meeting, but is likely to participate in subsequent talks between the U.S. and Russia.
On Monday, President Trump said the Alaska meeting is simply to see whether or not the Russian President is even willing to negotiate in good faith, something he claimed he could decide within minutes. “I’m going to go and see the parameters now,” he said. “I may leave and say, ‘Good luck,’ and that’ll be the end. I may say this is not going to be settled.”
Trump said he would call Zelensky before any other European leader after meeting with Putin, but warned he “may say, ‘Lots of luck, keep fighting,’ or [he] may say we can make a deal.” He added that only Putin and Zelensky can finalize a deal, and that it will involve territory swaps.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz extended the invitation to Trump on Sunday. Leaders from France, Britain, Italy, Poland, Finland, NATO and the European Union will be in attendance, along with Zelensky. The meeting is set to take place on Wednesday morning Eastern Time. President Trump plans to join via videoconference.