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Trump and Putin will meet on Friday.
BERLIN, BRATISLAVA. The American president called his upcoming personal meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin a"listening meeting".
However, European leaders previously wanted him to listen to them as well.
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a series of talks in Berlin. The diplomatically packed day began with consultations between several European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the afternoon, followed by an expected video call with US President Donald Trump.
The leaders' reactions after the phone call were positive."The success of any talks depends primarily on the results. So far, we are united, all partners spoke with one voice, one desire, the same principles and the same vision, and this is an important step forward," Zelenskyy said at a press conference.
However, whether Trump was truly convinced remains unclear for now. Russia, however, is not giving in to the escalating pressure.
Moscow continues to insist that an end to the fighting can only come after Kiev's troops withdraw from Ukrainian regions and Ukraine formally pledges to end its ambition to join NATO, Reuters reported, citing Alexei Fadeev, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to media reports, the US president is also interested in a joint meeting with Zelensky and Putin.
The US is looking for a venue for such talks, which could take place"as early as the end of next week," CBS News reports, citing two sources familiar with the talks.
Positive reactions
After the phone call, Merz and Zelensky appeared before reporters. The German Chancellor said that Europe must receive security guarantees from Russia - if it does not do so, pressure must be applied, he added, mentioning, for example, further sanctions.
"The US president knows that if he wants to achieve peace in Ukraine, he can rely on his European partners. However, if there is no movement on the Russian side in Alaska, then the US and the Europeans must increase the pressure," Merz said.
The German Chancellor also said at a press conference that Trump"largely agrees" with the European position. He described the joint conversation as"very good and constructive."
