European leaders expressed cautious optimism after a virtual meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said his goal at Friday’s Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin is to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump assured that territorial issues must involve President Volodymyr Zelensky and that security guarantees should be part of any deal, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
The call included leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Poland, the EU, and NATO, aiming to keep Ukraine’s interests central despite Europe’s exclusion from the summit. Trump warned Russia would face “very severe” consequences if it refused to halt the war and floated a possible second meeting including Putin and Zelensky.
European leaders remain wary, fearing Trump could accept Russian demands to annex occupied regions in exchange for peace. Poland’s Donald Tusk stressed the need to convince Trump “one can’t trust Russia,” while Germany’s Friedrich Merz warned pressure must increase if Moscow offers no concessions.
Putin’s conditions remain unchanged: Ukraine’s withdrawal from four occupied regions and abandonment of NATO membership, demands Kyiv rejects. UK PM Keir Starmer welcomed Trump’s push and noted progress on security guarantees. Meanwhile, Russia’s offensive continues in Donetsk, with Zelensky urging allies to apply “more pressure” and warning Putin is bluffing on sanctions’ impact.
