Ukrainian President Zelenskyy present at switch-on event in Berlin
In a significant diplomatic move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join virtual consultations with US President Donald Trump and his vice, JD Vance, in person at the Chancellery in Berlin. This meeting comes ahead of the highly anticipated Trump-Putin summit.
The European Union (EU) has outlined its objectives for the discussions with the US President, focusing on upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty, preventing any unacceptable territorial concessions, and ensuring security guarantees in potential peace negotiations. The EU insists that a ceasefire should happen unconditionally and not require Ukraine to demilitarize or give up territory without reciprocal Russian withdrawal.
The EU also seeks to avoid interference in Ukraine’s domestic affairs and the premature lifting of sanctions on Russia. They strongly oppose any deal that would normalize US-Russia relations while sidelining Europe or Ukraine and reject demands to reduce NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe.
More specifically, the EU supports Ukraine’s right to acquire military capability and freely choose its future alignment, including EU membership. They want reciprocal territorial concessions—no one-sided Russian gains—and a roadmap for direct Russian-Ukrainian high-level talks, ideally including leaders’ meetings. The EU, along with Ukraine and some US policymakers, emphasize security guarantees in a peace deal to prevent future Russian aggression.
European leaders remain skeptical of Putin’s sincerity and are adopting a strategy of cautious engagement with Trump, hoping to push for tougher sanctions if peace talks fail. They are wary of Russian demands that would restrict NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe or allow Russia to redefine Ukraine’s sovereignty limits, which Europe considers unacceptable.
As the summit approaches, concerns are rising among the Europeans and Zelenskyy about potential territorial concessions from Ukraine to Russia, which Kyiv strictly rejects. Trump's goal in the meeting with Putin is to move closer to an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for about three and a half years.
However, Trump does not plan to make a deal or promise security guarantees for Ukraine in the meeting with Putin. The White House has confirmed a bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin is planned for Friday, but Zelensky is not yet invited to Alaska.
In preparation for the follow-up consultations with Trump, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited close European allies of Ukraine to a virtual conference call. Participating will be the heads of state and government from France, the UK, Italy, Poland, and Finland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Zelenskyy.
Foreign Minister Wadephul has stated that violence must not shift borders, echoing the EU's stance on the matter. Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been vocal in his belief that Zelensky has lost the war against Russia and that Russia has won the war.
As the global community watches, the stage is set for a series of critical discussions that could shape the future of Ukraine and its relationship with key world powers. At 4:00 PM, the Chancellor and Zelenskyy plan to make joint public statements on the consultations with Trump. Merz will receive Zelenskyy around midday at the Berlin government headquarters, followed by a brief lunch.
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