Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi will travel to Berlin on Wednesday to join German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a video conference with US President Donald Trump, ahead of Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
The session, called by Merz, will also include Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
EU leaders have signalled support for Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, while stressing that Kyiv must have the final say over its future and that borders cannot be altered by force. The joint statement, issued earlier this week, comes amid concerns in Europe that Putin could persuade Trump to accept Russian territorial claims.
Zelenskyi has warned that Russia is not preparing for peace but for further offensives. Speaking on social media on Tuesday, he accused Moscow of moving forces for new attacks and said Ukraine would not cede the Donbas region. Trump has indicated that territorial concessions could be part of a settlement.
The Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin will take place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base near Anchorage, a location chosen for security reasons and to avoid Putin’s arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant. The Kremlin rejected European venues and had proposed the United Arab Emirates as an alternative.
European officials see Wednesday’s call as an opportunity to underline unity and maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions and military support to Ukraine. Merz’s office has said the aim is to ensure Washington understands Europe’s resolve to continue backing Kyiv.
The Berlin meeting will precede a further session of the so-called “coalition of the willing” later in the day. The results of both discussions are expected to be announced in the evening.
HT
