U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on June 24, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit - Lina Selg—Getty Images European leaders said peace talks betweenU.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putinin Alaska next week are unlikely to succeed without Ukraine's involvement. "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," astatementreleased on Saturday and signed by the leaders of France, Italy, the U.K., Germany, Poland, and Finland read. "We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations," it continued. The public show of support for Kyiv came in response to Trump's announcement at the White House on Friday that he would hold a summit with his Russian counterpart to discuss a potential end to the war in Ukraine, without Ukrainian participation. Trump provoked a backlash from allies for excluding Ukraine, and for insisting ahead of the talks that Kyiv would have to give up territory as part of a deal to end the fighting. "We're going to get some back, and we're going to get some switched," Trump said. "There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both." Read more:Exclusive: The Secret White House Backchannel That Paved the Way For Trump's Summit With Putin Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly denounced the idea of giving up territory to Russia in a video address on Saturday, vowing that Ukraine would not "gift their land to the occupier" and warning that any peace talks that didn't involve Kyiv would "bring nothing." The statement from European leaders backed Zelensky on both counts. Zelensky responded by thanking European allies in a post on X on Sunday: "The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people." Vice President JD Vance, who met with European leaders over the weekend to discuss the summit, said in an interview on Sunday that a negotiated settlement between Moscow and Kyiv would likely leave both sides "unhappy." "It's not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians, probably, at the end of the day, are going to be unhappy with it," he said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. Somereports indicatethat Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up the Donbas region and Crimea in return for ending the war. Russia has already annexed Crimea—a move not recognized by the international community—and its forces occupy most of the Donbas and further swathes of eastern Ukraine. Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, toldCNNon Sunday that "No big chunks or sections are going to be just given that haven't been fought for or earned on the battlefield," without elaborating further. Three U.S. officials toldNBC Newsthat the White House is discussing inviting Zelensky to the summit, though decisions have not been finalized. The White House did not immediately respond to TIME's request for comment. Trump claimed the conflict "could be solved very soon" as he announced the summit at the White House on Friday, on thedeadline he had imposed on Putinto finalize a peace deal or face potential financial penalties. The talks in Alaska will be the first time the leaders of the U.S. and Russia have met since 2021. Read more:Trump Will Meet Putin in Alaska For Ukraine Talks Next Week. Here's What You Need to Know European leaders have come to Ukraine's defense, condemning Russia's war in Ukraine and vowing to continue to provide military and financial support to Kyiv as necessary. Officials have also expressed a broader interest in including European leadership in peace negotiations due to concerns about the region's own security. "We underline our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity," the statement added. "We are united as Europeans and determined to jointly promote our interests. And we will continue to cooperate closely with President Trump and with the United States of America, and with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine, for a peace in Ukraine that protects our vital security interests." Thus far, Trump has not publicly remarked on Zelensky's stance on the upcoming Alaska meeting. But the President previously criticized Zelensky for being stubborn in his position for a ceasefire deal and claimed he is "not ready for peace." But the Kremlin's demands extend beyond a desire for land. As part of any agreement, Putin has reportedly called for Ukraine to give up its quest to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a European and North American alliance of which the United States is a founding member. A similar demand was made by Russia in June last year during that round of peace negotiations. The Kremlin also asked for the lifting of Western sanctions, protection for Russian speakers in Ukraine, and a resolution to unfreeze the $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets that are currently being held in Europe,Reutersreports. Contact usatletters@time.com.
