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The meeting between EU leaders, US President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin last Wednesday was a significant gathering, with discussions primarily focused on the upcoming US-Russian summit. However, the meeting is not confirmed to include Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The gathering in Berlin serves as an opportunity for EU leaders to coordinate their approach to the upcoming US-Russian summit, scheduled to take place at a military base in Anchorage. The ideal scenario, as suggested by some, involves European leaders speaking directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to represent their interests and find a path to peace for Ukraine.
Economist and long-serving US diplomat Jeffrey Sachs has been advocating for this direct engagement, urging EU leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, to abandon their "Russophobia" and engage directly with Moscow. He suggests that such a move could lead to a stronger security framework and give Ukraine a more prominent role in the peace process.
Despite these calls, European leaders are emphasizing the need for robust security guarantees for Ukraine before any further peace talks with Russia occur. This stance was clearly expressed during the August 18, 2025, summit at the White House, where eight European leaders convened to address the Ukraine conflict aftermath.
The leaders, including Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and French President Emmanuel Macron, stressed that security guarantees for Ukraine should cover the entire European continent's security. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected Russian demands for Ukrainian territorial concessions, equating it to an unacceptable proposal of the US giving up Florida.
European leaders insist any security arrangement must involve Russia’s agreement in principle but recognize Moscow’s current opposition and veto claims are blocking progress. The proposed approach is a sequence: first establishing security guarantees to empower Ukraine’s position, then moving toward territory negotiations and potential direct US-Russia-Ukraine talks.
Additionally, European leaders jointly affirm that Russia cannot have a veto over Ukraine’s decisions regarding its future relations with the EU and NATO, emphasizing Ukraine’s sovereignty in these matters. This reflects skepticism among European leaders about the outcomes from the US-Russia summit, which did not secure a ceasefire or sanctions against Russia and witnessed Russian advances continuing.
In conclusion, European leaders are pushing for robust security guarantees for Ukraine, modeled on NATO’s Article 5, as a foundation for peace talks. They reject Russian demands for forced territorial concessions and insist Ukraine should decide its own course with no Russian veto. The approach is multistep: security guarantees first, followed by negotiations potentially involving direct talks with Russia. This reflects a firm but cautious European leadership stance towards engaging Russia and supporting Ukraine’s peace process post-US-Russian summit in 2025.
Discussions among European leaders, US President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, focused on the upcoming US-Russian summit, may include a proposed scenario where European leaders engage directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address Ukraine's interests and pursue peace. However, European leaders are adamant about securing robust security guarantees for Ukraine before any direct negotiations take place, emphasizing Ukraine's sovereignty in deciding future relations with the EU and NATO.
