Zelensky thanks European allies for support ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked European nations who have rallied behind his country ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Mr Trump has said Friday’s meeting in Alaska with his Russian counterpart was to discuss ending the more than three-year war.

Mr Zelensky responded by thanking European allies and wrote on X on Sunday: “The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people.”

Saturday’s statement by top European leaders emphasising that peace cannot be achieved without Kyiv’s involvement came after the White House confirmed the US president was willing to grant Mr Putin the one-on-one meeting Russia has long pushed for, and suggestions from Mr Trump that a peace deal could include “some swapping of territories”.

This raised fears Kyiv may be pressured into giving up land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty.

A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to speak publicly, told The Associated Press that Mr Trump remained open to a trilateral summit with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, but for now, he will have a bilateral meeting requested by Mr Putin.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance on Saturday met top European and Ukrainian officials at the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s weekend residence to discuss how to end the war.

Mr Trump had earlier said he would meet Mr Putin even if the Russian leader would not meet with Mr Zelensky.

The Trump-Putin meeting may prove pivotal in a war that began when Russia invaded its western neighbour and has led to tens of thousands of deaths, although there is no guarantee it will stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace.

Saturday’s statement, signed by the president of the European Union and leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland, stressed the need for a “just and lasting peace” for Kyiv, including “robust and credible” security guarantees.

“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the statement said.

“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force,” the Europeans added.

A month-long US-led push to achieve a truce in Ukraine has so far proved fruitless, with Kyiv agreeing in principle while the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking.

Mr Trump had also moved up an ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement. The deadline was Friday. The White House did not answer questions on Saturday about possible sanctions.

The Kremlin earlier this week reiterated demands that Ukraine gives up territory, abandons its bid to join Nato, and accepts limits on its military, in exchange for a withdrawal of Russian troops from the rest of the country.

Mr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”.

Ukrainian officials previously told the AP privately that Kyiv would be amenable to a peace deal that would de facto recognise Ukraine’s inability to regain lost territories militarily. But Mr Zelensky on Saturday insisted that formally ceding land was out of the question.