It’s the high-stakes summit every European leader wishes to attend — and for good reason.
On Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for direct talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Key on the agenda: potential territorial concessions — a prospect that has set alarm bells ringing in European capitals. Both Ukraine and the European Union fear that redrawing borders through force could set a dangerous precedent.
As it stands, neither Ukraine nor the rest of Europe have been formally invited to the table.
“Brace ourselves for some pretty outrageous Russian demands,” cautioned Lord Simon McDonald, former head of the UK Foreign Office. “Putin is going to ask for things nobody else would concede — except possibly Donald Trump.”
The Zelensky Question
Trump has suggested he will try to secure the return of Ukrainian territory in talks with Putin. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out surrendering any land or freezing the conflict along current front lines.
His reasoning: any concessions would embolden Moscow rather than halt its war effort, now in its fourth year.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that Putin’s objectives go beyond the battlefield. “It’s clear Putin wants a photo with President Trump and to have sanctions postponed — which he’ll probably get,” she said. “If Zelensky is there, it would be a clear success for the U.S.”
Trump has left the door open to Zelensky’s participation, saying, “He could go.” But for Kyiv and Europe, a firm commitment is urgently needed.
Europe on the Sidelines
The one-on-one meeting format was reportedly a Kremlin proposal that Washington accepted — leaving European leaders scrambling for influence.
On Monday, Kallas convened a virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers, who demanded an unconditional ceasefire before any agreement and announced fresh sanctions against Moscow.
When asked about Trump’s suggestion of a potential land swap, Kallas was blunt: “An aggressor can’t be rewarded for aggression. Otherwise, we’ll just see more aggression around the world because it pays off.”
Despite improved U.S.-EU relations and higher European defense spending since Trump’s return to office, the bloc has been excluded from the peace talks. Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, made it clear earlier this year that Europe would not be involved — a position Brussels has failed to shift.
Last-Minute Diplomacy
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arranged a remote meeting on Wednesday involving European leaders, Zelensky, and Trump. The goal: to be consulted on America’s peace strategy before the Alaska summit.
But Lord McDonald remains skeptical that Europe will receive a last-minute invite. “The end will be as protracted as the war has been long,” he warned. “This meeting is a milestone, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will lead anywhere.”
