Diplomatic contacts between Washington and European capitals have intensified in recent hours in response to the failure of the Alaska summit to reach a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. Pressure has again shifted to President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom US President Donald Trump is urging to move toward a resolution to the conflict with Russia. Zelensky confirmed his intention to meet with Trump in the US on Monday.
"Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace," the Ukrainian president wrote on social media. The message emphasizes the urgency of including Ukraine in the negotiation process launched this Friday in Alaska by Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin."Ukraine emphasizes that important issues can be discussed at the leadership level and the trilateral format is suitable for this," Zelensky tweeted.
Meanwhile, European leaders held video conferences with Trump and Zelensky throughout Saturday morning to reach a consensus on their positions on the crisis. Leaders from NATO countries, particularly members of the organization with borders close to Russia, such as Finland and Poland, also took part in the virtual meeting. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also attended.
In a joint statement published at the end of the talks, they reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and warned against imposing"limitations" on kyiv regarding the composition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces or "cooperation with third countries." "Russia cannot have a veto over Ukraine's route to the European Union and NATO," the signatories demanded.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took part in virtual meetings with their Finnish and Polish counterparts Alexander Stubb and Donald Tusk, as well as the Presidents of the European Council, António Costa, and the European Commission. As has been the case with the main initiatives and meetings in recent days between top European leaders and the White House resident, Spaniard Pedro Sánchez has been excluded from the meeting.
In this regard, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, defended this Saturday that Ukraine be included in the path towards peace before the Alaska meeting, while criticizing Pedro Sánchez for having been"excluded" from the meetings to address this issue that leaders of the major European powers have held, reports Europa Press.
"Ukraine must have strong security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the European leaders urge. They optimistically accept"President Trump's declaration that the US is prepared to provide security guarantees" and assert that the Coalition of the Willing, which also includes Spain and was formed under the auspices of the British Prime Minister,"is ready to play an active role."
"It is up to Ukraine to make decisions about its territory. International borders should not be changed by force," they emphasize.
Trump has suggested in his recent media appearances that the ball is in Europe's court. The White House chief is urging Zelensky to end the war by accepting a deal with Putin that could jeopardize Ukraine's territorial integrity."And I would say that European nations should also get a little involved," he said in an interview with Fox after the Alaska summit.
