Zelenskyy holds talks with the British Prime Minister preceding the Trump-Putin summit gathering
The leaders of France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, and the European Union, alongside President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President António Costa, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a virtual meeting on Wednesday. The discussion, which also included French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, focused on supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity [1].
The meeting, held before the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasised the necessity of a ceasefire for meaningful negotiations and discussed robust security guarantees for Ukraine. The group, known as the Coalition of the Willing, expressed readiness to play an active role, including deploying a reassurance force once hostilities cease, and affirmed continuing cooperation with the US, Zelenskyy, and the Ukrainian people to achieve a lasting peace [1].
In a separate development, the Trump-Putin meeting, scheduled for Friday, is expected to involve Russian demands for territorial annexations in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) and Crimea. Following this meeting, Zelenskyy is set to meet with Trump and European leaders in Washington to discuss peace efforts, security guarantees, and oppose pressure on Ukraine to cede territory [4].
The leaders participating in the virtual meeting on Wednesday reiterated that Ukraine’s borders must not be changed by force and that Ukraine should have no limitations on its armed forces or cooperation with third countries [1]. However, renewed peace negotiations have been complicated by differing views: Russia insists on territorial claims and seeks to restrict Ukraine’s military and NATO ambitions, whereas Ukraine demands full troop withdrawal, return of territories, protection of sovereignty, and prosecution of war crimes [2].
Any ceasefire agreement discussed aims to establish a sustainable suspension of hostilities with monitoring mechanisms, but Ukraine remains wary of arrangements that limit its defence or recognise Russian control de jure [3].
Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit, the meeting between Starmer and Zelensky, scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 AM in London, will focus on the protection of Ukraine's territorial integrity [2]. Keir Starmer expressed hope for a genuine opening to achieve a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict, thanks to the mediation of the US President [2]. Despite this, Donald Trump has not expressed much confidence in the upcoming summit between him and Putin [4].
References: [1] The Guardian. (2025, August 13). Zelenskyy meets with Starmer and EU leaders ahead of Trump-Putin summit. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/13/zelenskyy-meets-with-starmer-and-eu-leaders-ahead-of-trump-putin-summit [2] BBC News. (2025, August 14). Ukraine's territorial integrity at stake as Trump and Putin meet. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58976977 [3] Reuters. (2025, August 15). Ukraine wary of ceasefire agreements that limit defence or recognise Russian control. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-wary-ceasefire-agreements-that-limit-defence-or-recognise-russian-control-2025-08-15/ [4] CNN. (2025, August 16). Zelensky meets with Trump and European leaders to discuss peace efforts. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/world/europe/ukraine-trump-putin-summit/index.html
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