On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to European leaders for their support in relation to the upcoming US-Russia Summit. There’s a palpable concern in Kyiv that discussions between Washington and Moscow might happen at Ukraine’s expense, essentially undermining its sovereignty.
Zelenskyy emphasized, “The end of the war must be fair. I appreciate everyone who stands with Ukraine in pursuit of peace.”
In a joint statement, leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, and the European Commission highlighted that any diplomatic resolution involving US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin must ensure the security interests of both Ukraine and Europe are safeguarded.
EU foreign policy director Kaja Karas mentioned, “The US is in a position to compel Russia to negotiate seriously.” She added that any agreement between the US and Russia ought to incorporate Ukraine and the EU, stressing that the situation is crucial for European safety.
Zelenskyy has made it clear that he won’t concede territory for peace ahead of the upcoming Trump-Putin summit, which will also involve discussions about a trilateral meeting.
NATO Executive Director Mark Latte remarked that the forthcoming summit would serve as a litmus test for Putin’s seriousness in wanting to end the ongoing conflict.
Both the White House and the Kremlin have acknowledged requests to take part in Zelenskyy’s consultations, even though no formal invitations are on the table. Trump and Putin are set to meet in Alaska on August 15. If Zelenskyy attends, it would mark their first encounter since the onset of hostilities initiated by Russia.
In a related context, Trump announced on Friday via Truth Social that there may be imminent tariffs on Moscow and its allies, particularly targeting countries like India and China.
Bipartisan lawmakers have proposed legislation that would impose harsh tariffs—up to 500%—on critical sectors of the Russian economy, like oil and gas, should ongoing peace negotiations fail or the conflict escalate further.
Meanwhile, some of Putin’s advisers have indicated that numerous nations are exerting “titanic efforts” to sabotage the upcoming summit between the Russian and US leaders.
Kiril Dmitriev, a member of Putin’s inner circle, remarked in a Telegram post that there are certainly nations interested in perpetuating the conflict that will attempt to disrupt the planned meeting through media manipulation and disinformation tactics.
