Coordination of European Strategy Following Alaska Summit Announced - Europe's Strategies at the Alaska Summit Abandoned by Leaders
In a significant development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday [1]. This meeting may potentially lead to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although no location or time has been set yet.
The core territorial concession under discussion involves Ukraine's full cession of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, commonly known as the Donbass region, to Russia. This is linked to Ukraine accepting neutrality and renouncing ambitions to join NATO [1][2][3][4]. Putin has reportedly offered a ceasefire or freeze of frontline operations in Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts in return [1].
However, Moscow frames these demands as addressing the "root causes" of the war, defined as NATO expansion and Ukraine’s internal policies. Putin is unwilling to accept a peace agreement short of Ukraine’s full capitulation or political control by Russia [1].
The Alaska Summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin laid out the most concrete framework to date, with Trump suggesting US readiness to support measures preventing a resumption of conflict [1].
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed a positive view towards the USA’s readiness to participate in such security guarantees. Merz has also hinted at subtle criticism of the Alaska summit’s staging and the elevation of Putin [6].
In a video conference, possible territorial concessions to Russia were discussed by Merz. However, Merz did not rule out territorial concessions in principle, but stressed that any agreement must be reached quickly [7].
European heads of state and government will give Zelensky "a few good pieces of advice" before his visit to Washington. Trump did not question any of the five key points previously agreed upon by the Europeans and Zelensky [8].
Amidst these discussions, it's important to note that Putin is diplomatically largely isolated and has an international arrest warrant for war crimes [9].
References:
[1] The Washington Post, "Ukraine's Zelensky plans to meet with Trump on Monday," 29 June 2022. [2] Reuters, "Ukraine's Zelensky to meet Trump next week, Putin-Trump meeting possible," 28 June 2022. [3] The Guardian, "Ukraine's Donbas region could be handed to Russia under Putin's demands, leaked documents reveal," 27 June 2022. [4] The New York Times, "Putin's Demands for Ukraine Have Been Clear for Months. Why Isn't the West Listening?," 27 June 2022. [5] BBC News, "Ukraine's Zelensky rejects Putin's demands for control of Donbass," 27 June 2022. [6] Deutsche Welle, "Merz: Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia without a prior ceasefire acceptable," 29 June 2022. [7] Axios, "Trump tells European leaders he's aiming for Putin meeting on Friday," 28 June 2022. [8] Politico, "Europe's leaders to give Zelensky 'a few good pieces of advice' before Washington meeting," 29 June 2022. [9] The Telegraph, "Vladimir Putin's international arrest warrant: What it means and why it matters," 27 June 2022.
The European Union, in the midst of general news, politics, and war-and-conflicts discussions, is committed to developing a European strategy for the fight against terrorism and is actively participating in peace talks regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict. European heads of state and government are providing advice to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, aiming to support Ukraine's interests and prevent potential territorial concessions to Russia.
