European leaders expressed strong support on Saturday for U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to advance peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. In a joint statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Portuguese President António Costa welcomed Trump's initiative to "stop the killing in Ukraine, end the war, and achieve just and lasting peace." The statement came after Trump briefed European counterparts and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his Friday meeting with Putin — the first encounter between U.S. and Russian presidents since February 2022. Citing Trump's remark that "there's no deal until there's a deal," the European leaders emphasized that further negotiations must include Zelenskyy, whom Trump is scheduled to meet soon in Washington. "We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support," the statement said, calling for "ironclad security guarantees" for Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The leaders welcomed Trump's declared willingness to provide U.S. security guarantees and stressed that no restrictions should be imposed on Ukraine's armed forces or international defense partnerships. "Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO," the leaders stated. They also pledged to maintain pressure on Moscow "as long as the killing in Ukraine continues," and reiterated their refusal to accept any forced change of international borders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted separately on social media platform X, affirming the bloc's commitment to working closely with Kyiv and Washington to ensure peace and long-term security in the region. "Strong security guarantees that protect Ukrainian and European vital security interests are essential," she wrote. Trump and Putin, who met privately for over three hours in Alaska, both described the summit as productive, with Putin claiming the talks resulted in an "understanding." Trump later said the outcome now depended on Zelenskyy and European partners to move the process forward. — Agencies
