BRUSSELS — European leaders expressed strong support on Saturday for U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to advance peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

In a joint statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Portuguese President António Costa welcomed Trump’s initiative to “stop the killing in Ukraine, end the war, and achieve just and lasting peace.”

The statement came after Trump briefed European counterparts and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his Friday meeting with Putin — the first encounter between U.S. and Russian presidents since February 2022.

Citing Trump’s remark that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” the European leaders emphasized that further negotiations must include Zelenskyy, whom Trump is scheduled to meet soon in Washington.

“We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support,” the statement said, calling for “ironclad security guarantees” for Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The leaders welcomed Trump’s declared willingness to provide U.S. security guarantees and stressed that no restrictions should be imposed on Ukraine’s armed forces or international defense partnerships.“Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine’s pathway to EU and NATO,” the leaders stated.They also pledged to maintain pressure on Moscow “as long as the killing in Ukraine continues,” and reiterated their refusal to accept any forced change of international borders.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted separately on social media platform X, affirming the bloc’s commitment to working closely with Kyiv and Washington to ensure peace and long-term security in the region.“Strong security guarantees that protect Ukrainian and European vital security interests are essential,” she wrote.Trump and Putin, who met privately for over three hours in Alaska, both described the summit as productive, with Putin claiming the talks resulted in an “understanding.” Trump later said the outcome now depended on Zelenskyy and European partners to move the process forward. — Agencies

Washington, Aug 16 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Saturday held a telephonic meeting with the European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to brief them on his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

Following the meeting, President Trump and his Russian counterpart said that they made progress in three hours of talks on Friday, moving closer to finding an end to the Ukraine War, but did not announce an immediate ceasefire.

Meanwhile, the US President took to his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, calling the meeting with Putin in Alaska a successful one.

“A great and very successful day in Alaska! The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late-night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO. It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“President Zelensky will be coming to DC, the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” the post added.

The European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Portuguese President Antonio Costa, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed President Trump’s efforts to “stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression”, and achieve just and lasting peace.

“As President Trump said, ‘there’s no deal until there’s a deal’. As envisioned by President Trump, the next step must now be further talks, including President Zelensky, whom he will meet soon. We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelensky towards a trilateral summit with European support,” read a joint statement issued by the European leaders after Saturday’s phone call.

“We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome President Trump’s statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees. The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to EU and NATO,” the statement added.

The leaders said that it will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory, asserting that international borders must not be changed by force.

They reaffirmed their support for Ukraine, vowing to step up efforts to keep the country strong to achieve an end to the fighting and a just and lasting peace.

The leaders stressed that “as long as the killing in Ukraine continues”, they remain committed to “uphold the pressure on Russia”.

“We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy until there is a just and lasting peace. Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests,” the statement concluded.

–IANS

scor/as

Instead, the EU leadership – joined by the heads of five of the 27 EU member states and the UK – released a statement, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen published on X, TASS reported.

Rather than being titled an “EU statement,” the document is presented as: “Statement by President von der Leyen, President (of France Emmanuel) Macron, Prime Minister (of Italy Giorgia) Meloni, Chancellor (of Germany Friedrich) Merz, Prime Minister (of the UK Keir) Starmer, President (of Finland Alexander) Stubb, Prime Minister (of Poland Donald) Tusk, President( of the EU Council Antonio) Costa.”

Although a meeting of ambassadors from all 27 EU countries was convened early Saturday morning, no joint statement was issued.

The document does not endorse US President Donald Trump’s main thesis on the need for a long-term settlement of the conflict without preconditions for a preliminary ceasefire.

In substance, the final text does not introduce a new peace proposal, but instead reiterates Brussels’ familiar talking points, from pledges of military supplies to calls for a “just peace”.

MA/PR

European leaders issued a joint statement after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska yesterday.

The statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

It said Trump briefed them, along with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, about his summit with Putin, and that European leaders “support his efforts to stop the war.”

“As President Trump has said, ‘No deal until there is a deal.’ In his vision, the next step must now be further negotiations, including with President Zelensky, with whom he will meet soon. We also stand ready to work with President Trump and President Zelensky in a trilateral summit, with the support of Europe,” it said.

They further commented on the circumstances surrounding the potential end of the war in Ukraine.

“We clearly emphasize that Ukraine must have strong security guarantees in order to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome President Trump’s statement that the United States is ready to provide security guarantees. The coalition of the willing is ready to play an active role. There must be no restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces or on their cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto over Ukraine’s path towards the EU and NATO,” the European leaders’ statement said.

They emphasized in particular that “it is up to Ukraine to make decisions about its territory” and that “internationally recognized borders cannot be changed by force.”

“Our support for Ukraine will continue. We are determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong, with the aim of ending the fighting and achieving a just and lasting peace. As long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we are ready to keep up the pressure on Russia. We will continue to strengthen sanctions and broader economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy until a just and lasting peace is achieved,” it said.

Finally, the European leaders said that “Ukraine can count on unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that will protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe.”

Ukraine

Today, following his conversation with President Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote a post on X stating that he had further coordinated positions with European leaders. “The positions are clear. A real peace must be achieved…” he wrote.

Photo credit: independent.co.uk

Zelenskyy also announced that he will visit Washington on 18 August.

European leaders

Early on 16 August 2025, leaders including President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Starmer, President Stubb, Prime Minister Tusk, President Costa, and European Commission President von der Leyen were briefed by President Trump and President Zelenskyy following Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Photo credit: Unsplash.com

They noted Trump’s remark that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal” and said the next step should include further talks with President Zelenskyy. A trilateral summit with European support was also proposed.

The statement emphasized that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We welcome President Trump’s statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees. The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries,” the statement said.

Some European leaders also published separate posts on social media to reaffirm their positions and support for Ukraine.

President of France Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that any lasting peace must include strong security guarantees and noted that the United States is ready to contribute. He reaffirmed that France will remain firmly alongside Ukraine and continue close cooperation with Trump, Zelenskyy, and European partners.

Photo credit: 123RF/gintsivuskansphoto

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also published a post on X, thanking President Trump for the update on the Alaska discussions. She wrote that the EU is working closely with President Zelenskyy and the United States to achieve a just and lasting peace. She emphasized that strong security guarantees protecting Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests are essential.

Photo credit: Xinhua

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer praised President Trump for advancing a potential peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia at the Alaska summit, saying his efforts bring the world closer to ending the conflict.

Photo credit: Anadolu

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof highlighted that it is a positive step for Europe and the United States to work together on necessary security guarantees. He added that the Netherlands will continue to play an active role in the Coalition of the Willing.

United Nations

The United Nations has taken note of the results of the Alaska summit and welcomed the continuation of constructive dialogue. This was stated by UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in a comment to TASS.

“We have taken note of the meeting on Friday in Alaska between the Presidents of the United States and the Russian Federation. We welcome the continuation of constructive dialogue between UN member states,” the statement said.

The UN is also ready to support all meaningful efforts to achieve sustainable peace in Ukraine, Dujarric added.

“Secretary-General António Guterres once again calls for an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in Ukraine, fully respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, in accordance with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions. The United Nations stands ready to support all significant efforts in this regard,” noted Dujarric.

Collage credit: Canva

India

The Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement published on the ministry’s website said:

“India welcomes the Summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable. India appreciates the progress made in the Summit. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine.”

Japan

According to public broadcaster NHK, citing a senior official from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s cabinet, the details of the talks, including any agreements or points of consensus, are not yet known.

“We do not yet know the details of the talks, including the points of agreement and areas of consensus. However, it seems fair to say that the summit has served as a starting point for further dialogue. Both leaders spoke about the next meeting. The timing of that meeting is drawing attention,” the statement reads.

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that the U.S.-Russian summit had opened at Elmendorf Richardson military base in Anchorage.