Europe And Ukraine Launch Last-ditch Diplomatic Drive Ahead Of Trump-putin Summit

MUNICH — President Donald Trump will Wednesday subordinate a video telephone pinch European leaders and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will implore him not to capitulate to Russia’s demands during Friday’s high-profile acme pinch Vladimir Putin successful Alaska.

Despite Russia’s penetration impacting them astir directly, European powers and Ukraine have not been invited to nan Trump-Putin acme at Anchorage’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. There is increasing siren successful Europe that nan leaders from Washington and Moscow could look pinch an statement disastrous for Ukraine and nan continent’s vulnerability to early Russian attack.

In a week of frantic diplomacy, nan virtual acme will see Trump alongside nan leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, Britain, Finland, Italy, Poland and nan European Union and NATO, said nan German government, which has organized nan call.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful Kyiv connected Tuesday.Danylo Antoniuk / Anadolu via Getty Images

Zelenskyy will beryllium location successful person, having touched down by chopper successful Berlin wherever he was greeted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. It is nan latest of what Zelenskyy says person been much than 30 conversations pinch world leaders this week.

The digitally linked gaggle of leaders “will address, among different things, further options for exerting unit connected Russia,” nan German authorities spokesperson said, adding that “peace negotiations and related issues of territorial claims and security” would beryllium connected nan agenda.

Most European leaders fearfulness that Russia will not extremity astatine the 20% of Ukraine it presently occupies pursuing its 2022 full-scale invasion, and alternatively whitethorn usage this landgrab from which to motorboat further attacks connected Moscow’s erstwhile Soviet vassals. Putin has described nan autumn of nan USSR arsenic a historical tragedy, and believes nan Baltic states, which are now members of nan E.U. and NATO, should beryllium brought backmost wrong his sphere of influence.

Wednesday’s calls are a show of European unity down Ukraine and different Russian neighbors who fearfulness its adjacent move. E.U. leaders will clasp abstracted telephone discussions earlier and aft nan telephone pinch Trump, nan second including Canada, indicating nan level of coordination betwixt them.

European powers opportunity that location must beryllium a ceasefire earlier bid talks tin statesman — thing rejected by Russia — and that negotiations cannot hap without Ukraine. They reason Ukraine must person “security guarantees,” possibly successful nan shape of Western peacekeepers, truthful nan Kremlin does not usage nan region to regroup and onslaught again.