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By Shane Croucher and Robert Birsel
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European Union (EU) leaders have issued a fresh appeal to President Donald Trump on Ukraine, imploring him ahead of his crunch summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to protect the country and Europe's security interests and not to exclude Kyiv from any agreement.
Why It Matters
Ukraine and its European allies fear Trump will consent to the concession of Ukrainian territory Russia has seized since its 2022 invasion, which they say will reward Moscow for its unlawful aggression and signal that it could take similar action elsewhere.
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Trump has suggested swapping land Russia partially occupies for peace, which Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected. It is not clear if Zelensky will attend the talks in Alaska.
What To Know
Twenty-six EU leaders—Hungary being the only member state that did not want to co-sign—said in the statement on Tuesday that they welcomed Trump's efforts to end the war and seek "a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine."
But they warned: "A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and that international borders must not be changed by force.
"The people of Ukraine must have the freedom to decide their future. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities," the European leaders said.
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has wider implications for European and international security. We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests," they said.
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Trump said on Monday that both Ukraine and Russia would have to give up land to end the war, describing Friday's talks with Putin as "a feel-out meeting."
"There'll be some land swapping going on," he said, adding that this would involve "some bad stuff for both" sides.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory, concentrated in the east and much of it captured since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
The Kremlin said in the fall of 2022 it had annexed the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions—collectively known as the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland—and the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, where Russia does not have full control.
Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula, to the south of mainland Ukraine, in 2014. Russia's control over any Ukrainian region is not internationally recognized.
Russia has cited Ukraine's ambitions to join the U.S.-led NATO alliance as a central motivator for its invasion, arguing that it posed an intolerable security threat.
The EU leaders said Hungary "does not associate itself with this statement," and its prime minister, Viktor Orban, gave the reason in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Orban, Putin's closest ally in the EU, said the statement from the European leaders "attempts to set conditions for a meeting to which leaders of the EU were not invited."
"The fact that the EU was left on the sidelines is sad enough as it is. The only thing that could make things worse is if we started providing instructions from the bench," he said, adding that the EU should initiate its own summit with Russia.
What Are People Saying
The EU leaders said in their statement: "The European Union underlines the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny and will continue supporting Ukraine on its path towards EU membership."
Ukraine's President Zelensky said in a post on X: "I am grateful to the leaders of Europe for their clear support of our independence, territorial integrity, and precisely such an active approach to diplomacy that can help end this war with a dignified peace. [...] Issues related to the security of Ukraine and Europe are discussed by all of us together. Any decision must add to our joint security capabilities. And if Russia refuses to stop the killings, it must be held accountable."
The Russian Embassy in London said in a statement: "Russia has been and remains open to resolving the Ukrainian conflict through political and diplomatic means. At the same time, we must pursue a lasting and long-term peace, which can only be achieved by eradicating the root causes of the crisis."
The Institute for the Study of War said on Sunday: "The Kremlin is attempting to use the upcoming Alaska summit to divide the United States from Europe rather than engage in meaningful peace efforts."
Viktor Kovalenko, from the Ukraine Decoded Substack said: "The Alaska summit could halt the bloodshed, but without Ukraine's buy-in and a focus on Russian withdrawal from key regions, it risks becoming a diplomatic mirage."
What Happens Next
The Europeans are due to make another attempt to rally Trump to Ukraine's cause on Wednesday at virtual meetings convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump on Monday did not confirm whether he would take part, but said: "I'm going to get everybody's ideas" before meeting Putin.
Reporting by The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Updated, 8/12/25, 5 a.m. ET: More comments and information were added to the article.
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