European leaders expressed optimism following a virtual meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, just two days before his scheduled talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss a potential end to the war in Ukraine.
According to diplomatic sources, Trump told European leaders that his main objective for the upcoming summit was to secure a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. He also agreed that any territorial issues must involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and that security guarantees should be a key part of any agreement, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron said the discussion allowed him to “clarify Trump’s intentions” and gave European leaders an opportunity to “express our expectations” ahead of the high-stakes meeting.
Trump, joined by Vice President JD Vance, spoke with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and Poland, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The call was seen as a last-minute attempt by European leaders to ensure Ukraine’s interests and continental security remain central in Trump’s approach, given that Europe was not invited to the hastily arranged Alaska summit.
By Wednesday evening, Trump rated the meeting a “ten”, warning that Russia would face “very severe consequences” if it failed to halt its aggression in Ukraine. He added that if Friday’s meeting went well, he would try to arrange a “quick second meeting” involving both Putin and Zelensky.
However, European leaders stressed the importance of Ukraine’s direct involvement in any final decision – a sign of underlying concern that Putin might persuade Trump to accept territorial concessions in exchange for a ceasefire.
“The most important thing is for Europe to convince Donald Trump that Russia cannot be trusted,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that leaders had “made it clear that Ukraine must be at the negotiating table once follow-up talks take place.”
Merz added that if Russia refused to compromise, “the United States and we Europeans must and should increase the pressure.”
The meeting comes amid growing unease after Trump’s recent remarks suggesting possible “territory swaps” between Kyiv and Moscow – a proposal that has raised serious concerns in Ukraine and beyond that he may be willing to accommodate Putin’s longstanding demands to annex large portions of Ukrainian territory, according to the BBC.
