Leading officials of Europe to convene an online conference with Ukraine prior to the scheduled encounter between Trump and Putin
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concerns about the Russian army's preparations for new offensive operations, as the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine continues. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has reiterated Ukraine's inherent right to choose its own destiny and emphasised that international borders must not be changed by force.
In an effort to bring about a resolution, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited Zelensky, along with leaders from France, the UK, European nations, heads of the EU and NATO, the US President and Vice President, and other global leaders to a video conference. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss further options to exert pressure on Russia and prepare for possible peace negotiations.
However, a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday, is set to occur without Zelensky's participation. The talks are expected to discuss a possible peace settlement, although Ukraine's participation has not been confirmed yet. Russia has demanded that Kyiv pull its forces out of several regions claimed by Moscow as a prerequisite to a peace settlement.
Ukraine has acknowledged that getting land captured by Russia back would have to come through diplomacy, not on the battlefield. However, the meeting between Trump and Putin has fueled fears that Kyiv could be forced into painful concessions, including over land. Ukraine has ruled out withdrawing troops from the Donbas region which Moscow claims.
The conference call with European leaders, including Merz, is scheduled for an afternoon and will also involve a second round of talks with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Merz are also set to hold a separate round of talks with Ukraine's military backers. Ukraine has stated that it would never recognize Russian control over its sovereign territory.
Since February 2025, Russian and Ukrainian delegations have held three rounds of bilateral talks in Istanbul. These talks, known as the Istanbul format, have achieved minor progress such as prisoner exchanges but have not yielded substantive breakthroughs on broader peace terms. Russia has shown reluctance to engage in urgent bilateral talks and has demanded a veto over any Western security guarantees made to Ukraine, complicating the negotiation framework.
The international community, including US, European leaders, and figures such as former US President Donald Trump, have urged urgent leader-level meetings between Putin and Zelensky to prevent further casualties. Trump has emphasized the need for urgent bilateral talks following a multilateral summit on August 18, 2025.
In summary, the main current peace negotiation options involve continuing the Istanbul framework talks with working groups as a platform to build toward eventual leader-level meetings between Putin and Zelensky, under ongoing international diplomatic pressure to accelerate negotiations and limit conflict escalation. However, major obstacles remain due to Russia’s demands and reluctance to engage in urgent bilateral talks. The situation remains fragile with ongoing efforts by the international community to facilitate meaningful dialogue.
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