'Borders must not be changed by force' — European leaders back Trump's peace effort but say Ukraine must decide its territory
European leaders backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, but stressed that Ukraine should decide the fate of its borders.
The joint statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and European Council President Antonio Costa was published on Aug. 16, shortly after European leaders joined Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky on a phone call.
During the call, Trump said that reaching a "fast peace deal" will now be the goal of further negotiations, rather than a ceasefire, which his administration has been pushing for for months.
"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 toward a trilateral summit with European support," the joint statement by European leaders reads.
Zelensky will meet the American leader in Washington on Aug. 18 to discuss an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky also said he agreed to Trump's proposal for a trilateral talk between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. It's not clear when a trilateral meeting might take place. Putin's aide told Russian state media that such a meeting wasn't discussed in Alaska.
European leaders said Ukraine must have "ironclad security guarantees" and backed Trump’s statement that Washington is prepared to give security guarantees.
"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 the EU and NATO," the statement reads.
"It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force."
Following the Alaska summit with Putin, Trump said that the two leaders had "largely agreed" on territorial swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine. He had previously mentioned that Ukraine and Russia should "swap" land in the leadup to the summit although it was not clear what exactly he meant.
A source in the Ukrainian Presidential Office earlier told the Kyiv Independent that Moscow's proposal would require Kyiv to withdraw from the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in exchange for a Russian pullback from parts of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.
Zelensky has firmly rejected the possibility of handing additional Ukrainian territory over to Russian occupation as part of a peace deal, insisting on establishing a ceasefire as the first step in any negotiations.
After the call, Trump dismissed the idea of a ceasefire agreement, claiming they often "do not hold up," in a post on Truth Social. Instead, he said Moscow and Kyiv should go directly to a peace agreement.
Trump praised the summit and said he and Putin agreed on many points, although no agreement to end the war was reached. He also walked back his sanctions threat, saying there would be no new ones for now.
European leaders, on the other hand, said they would continue to put pressure on Russia’s war economy and strengthen sanctions "until there is a just and lasting peace."
