U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, at a summit that analysts say appears to favor Moscow’s positions.
European officials are already pressuring Washington to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, something Washington is reportedly considering.
Seven European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, issued a joint statement stressing that “the path to peace for Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
A possible refusal by Zelenskyy to sign an agreement backed by the U.S. would distance Washington from the “Ukrainian cause” and create a rift in its relations with the EU.
They also stated that the current front line “must be the starting point for negotiations,” implicitly rejecting Trump’s proposal for a “territorial exchange” with Russia.
Furthermore, at the meeting, the two presidents are expected to discuss a peace plan that will likely require significant territorial concessions or “exchanges” from Ukraine—something Zelenskyy has rejected. If Kyiv ultimately refuses to sign an agreement supported by Trump, Putin could pressure the U.S. to step back from Ukraine.
“This could create a long-term rift between the U.S. and Europe,” an expert told The New York Times.
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