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Europe Offers to Help Organize Meeting Between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin, Maintaining Support for Ukraine, Sanctions Against Moscow, and Diplomatic Pressure
European leaders stated on Saturday (16) that they are ready to help organize a meeting between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Vladimir Putin. The statement came a day after the meeting between the presidents of the United States and Russia in Alaska, which focused primarily on the conflict in Ukraine.
“We are willing to work with Presidents Trump and Zelensky towards a tripartite summit, with the support of Europe,” said in a joint statement the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, along with the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Trump also commented on the matter on his Truth Social network. “President Zelensky will be coming to Washington, to the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all goes well, we will schedule a meeting with President Putin,” he wrote.
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European Talks and Pressures
The statements were made after telephone conversations held on Saturday. First, European leaders spoke with Trump and Zelensky. Then, they had a second call, which resulted in the joint statement.
In the text, they emphasized that Russia “cannot have” veto power over Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and NATO. According to them, only Kyiv should decide on its own territory.
Additionally, they advocated for maintaining sanctions against Moscow as long as the deaths in the war continue. “We are prepared to keep the pressure,” they highlighted.
The Meeting Between Trump and Putin
The meeting in Alaska was awaited with anticipation. Ukraine and the Europeans hoped to convince Trump to negotiate a ceasefire with Putin, more than three years after the Russian invasion.
But the outcome was different. “Everyone agreed that the best way to end the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine is to reach a peace agreement directly, and not a simple ceasefire, which often goes unfulfilled,” Trump stated on his social network, already back in Washington.
This position represented a step forward for Putin, who insists on discussing a broad agreement, including the reasons he considers “deep” for the conflict, such as Ukraine’s desire to join NATO. For Moscow, this expansion is seen as an existential threat.
Attacks and Military Advances
While the negotiations were taking place, the conflict continued on the military front. According to Kyiv, the Russian Army launched 85 drones and a missile at Ukraine on Friday night, while Trump and Putin were meeting in Alaska.
On Saturday, Moscow announced the capture of two localities in eastern Ukraine, expanding its recent advances in the region.
Sanctions and New Economic Threats
On Friday, the United States’ ultimatum for Russia to end the war also expired. Otherwise, “secondary” sanctions would come into effect, targeting countries that continue importing oil and weapons from Russian territory.
However, Trump preferred to postpone this debate. “Given how everything happened today, I don’t think we should be thinking about that right now,” he responded in an interview with Fox News after the meeting with Putin.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham advocates that the president use a legislative tool that authorizes tariffs of up to 500% against countries that support Russia. Trump stated that he is “carefully considering” this proposal.
Next Steps
Despite the uncertainties, Trump confirmed that he will host Zelensky at the White House next Monday. He reiterated that if the meeting is positive, he could schedule a direct meeting with Putin.
“The agreement to end the war really depends on the President of Ukraine,” he said, suggesting that the final decision should go through Zelensky.
Meanwhile, the Europeans insist that they will maintain pressure against Moscow. “As long as the massacres in Ukraine continue, we will continue with the sanctions,” they declared.
The proposal for a tripartite summit, therefore, gains strength but still depends on concrete signals from Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow to move forward. The conflict, which has lasted over three years, remains open, with no indication of a nearby end.
With information from Fórum Magazine.
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