European leaders have reaffirmed that any peace talks with Russia must include Ukraine, issuing a joint statement ahead of a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. The statement, signed by the leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission, came as the White House confirmed Trump was open to a possible trilateral meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but, for now, it remains a bilateral Trump-Putin summit, as requested by Moscow. Zelensky warned that any agreements reached without Kyiv's participation would be "dead decisions." Responding to Trump's suggestion that territorial swaps could be part of a deal, the Ukrainian leader said, "We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated... Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace." Citing unnamed sources, CBS reported the White House is trying to persuade European allies to support a proposal allowing Russia to take full control of the Donbas region and retain Crimea, a move European leaders firmly oppose. "International borders must not be changed by force," the statement said, vowing continued diplomatic, military, and financial support for Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on social media that Europe must be part of any settlement, warning against an arrangement decided solely by Washington and Moscow. On Sunday, Zelensky thanked allies for their backing, saying Ukraine's fight was also a defense of Europe's security interests. The Alaska meeting will be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in 2021. Nine months later, Moscow launched its full-scale invasion, later declaring the annexation of four Ukrainian regions despite lacking full control. — Agencies
