Zelenskyy heads to Berlin for pre-summit discussions with Trump and Putin
In the lead-up to the highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, European and Ukrainian leaders are expressing their concerns about the potential peace agreement in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted on a ceasefire before any peace talks, strongly opposing any ceding of sovereign territory. According to reports, Zelenskyy's constitution forbids the surrender of land claimed by Russia [1][2].
Russian President Putin, during the summit, proposed that Ukraine cede two of the four regions Russia claims, and freeze the front line in the other two regions. This condition has been seen as unacceptable by Ukraine [1].
European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have engaged closely with Zelensky, attending meetings to show support and to coordinate on the peace process [1].
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the difficulty, noting that the only way to end the war is a full peace deal that involves compromises from both sides, and the necessity that Ukraine be involved in negotiations [3].
European and Ukrainian leaders are concerned about the protection of Ukraine’s sovereignty and security guarantees and are cautious about any deal that could legitimize Russian territorial claims or push Ukraine into unfavorable concessions without its consent [2][3].
There is uncertainty about the format of talks, with Russia demanding to be part of any discussions on security guarantees and insistence on control over resource-rich regions like Donbas [2].
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will join Zelenskyy for talks with European and U.S. leaders. European countries and Ukraine are concerned that Putin might secure favorable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them [4].
The EU and Ukraine are expected to handle security in Europe, as America focuses its attention elsewhere, according to Trump. However, Trump may be satisfied with a ceasefire in Ukraine, but is also interested in broader U.S. geostrategic interests and great power politics [5].
Russia must accept land swaps, according to Trump, although it is unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender. Trump has shown little mercy in trade talks by hiking tariffs on most EU imports to 5%, ostensibly for U.S. national security reasons [6].
Meanwhile, a US teen influencer remains stranded in the Chilean Antarctic since landing without permission, and Alaska's Mendenhall Glacier released floodwater, urging some Juneau residents to evacuate [7]. The end of physical passport stamps is Europe's next big change for travelers [8].
References: 1. BBC News 2. The Guardian 3. Reuters 4. Politico 5. CNN 6. Bloomberg 7. Alaska Public Media 8. Euronews
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