EU politicians express approval for Trump's peace initiatives
The European Union (EU) has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, ahead of the upcoming Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a joint statement, the heads of state and government of several European countries, including Germany's Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emphasised the importance of meaningful negotiations within the framework of a ceasefire or reduction in hostilities.
The statement strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the territories occupied by Russia since 2014 and intensified since 2022. It opposes any land swaps or forced relinquishment of Ukrainian land that Russia occupies, insisting that no negotiation can legitimately involve Ukraine giving up territory under coercion.
The EU's approach is to stand firm against any territorial changes imposed by force and to insist that peace negotiations respect Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders. Any diplomatic solution must include Ukraine directly in talks and ensure that peace respects Ukraine’s and Europe’s security interests.
The EU has pledged continuing political, financial, and military support for Ukraine’s self-defence and its path toward EU membership. Notably, Hungary is the only EU member country that has refused to sign the EU’s joint statement reinforcing these principles ahead of US-Russia talks.
There is concern on the Ukrainian and European side that Trump and Putin could make agreements that would be detrimental to Ukraine. If Kyiv withdraws troops from a region, Russia would have to do the same in other areas under the European plan. However, it is unclear whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the meeting, and if he does, it is uncertain whether he and Putin will ever be in the same room.
The EU's proposed condition is that territorial changes cannot occur through coercion or Russian military aggression and must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This stance is a clear rejection of any forced territorial concessions to Russia.
The statement supports Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but it does not go into detail about proposals made by the Europeans and Ukraine to the US. The path to peace in Ukraine, according to the statement, cannot be decided without Ukraine.
References:
- Wall Street Journal
- EU Council Press Release
- European Parliament Resolution
- European External Action Service Statement
- Despite ongoing war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, the European Union is committed to a comprehensive and comprehensive policy on the environment, underlining the importance of politics and general news to address the crisis.
- Amidst negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming Alaska summit, the European Union has clarified that any diplomatic solution must include Ukraine directly in talks and ensure that peace respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, rejecting any forced territorial concessions to Russia.
