Donald Trump has revealed there is a “very good chance” of arranging a historic meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy following emergency talks with European leaders today. The US President joined the Ukrainian leader and key European allies in a high-stakes virtual summit ahead of Friday’s crucial Alaska meeting with the Russian president.
Speaking at a press conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy confirmed Trump had “expressed his support” for Ukraine’s demand that any peace deal must begin with a ceasefire followed by “real security guarantees.”
The virtual meeting brought together Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Zelenskyy, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and leaders from Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Union in a show of Western unity before the Alaska summit.
Zelenskyy Demands Seat at Peace Table
The Ukrainian president flew to Berlin by helicopter for the emergency talks, marking his latest stop in what he described as more than 30 conversations with world leaders this week. Standing alongside Merz after the virtual summit, Zelenskyy issued a stark warning about Russia’s intentions.
“There is currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war,” Zelenskyy said. “Putin is bluffing about his desire for peace. Sanctions are hitting Russia’s war economy hard.
He added firmly: “Everything that concerns Ukraine should be discussed exclusively with Ukraine. Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine – they are simultaneously decisions against peace.
German Chancellor Merz revealed he had made it “clear to President Trump” that Ukraine must have a seat at any future peace negotiations. “We want things to go in the right sequence: We want a ceasefire at the very beginning, and then a framework agreement must be drawn up,” Merz said.
Trump Hints at Territorial Swaps
The US President has indicated that any peace deal could involve “some swapping of territories,” a suggestion that has alarmed European allies and prompted fierce resistance from Kyiv. Trump expressed frustration with Zelenskyy’s insistence that Ukraine’s constitution would need amending for any territorial changes.
“I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelenskyy was saying, ‘I have to get constitutional approval,'” Trump told reporters on Monday. “He’s got approval to go into war and kill everybody, but he needs approval to do a land swap?”
White House Vice President JD Vance confirmed on Sunday that the administration was working on “scheduling and things like that” for a potential three-way summit between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy. However, he suggested it would not be advisable for the Ukrainian and Russian leaders to meet before Friday’s Alaska summit.
European Fears Over Alaska Summit
The hastily arranged virtual conference reflected deep European anxiety about being sidelined from discussions that could determine Ukraine’s future. NATO and EU leaders fear Russia may use any pause in fighting to regroup before launching fresh attacks on former Soviet territories.
In Alaska, security interests of Europe and Ukraine must be protected,” Merz said after speaking with Trump. If there is no movement on the Russian side, we and the US have to put more pressure on Russia. President Trump knows this position and largely agrees with it.”
The German Chancellor, who organised today’s virtual summit, said European leaders were “doing everything we can to help set the agenda” for Friday’s meeting in Anchorage. He confirmed Trump would contact European allies immediately after the Alaska talks.
Zelenskyy warned that Putin’s proposal to take control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region and Crimea would set a dangerous precedent. Russia cannot have a veto as to European or NATO perspectives against Ukraine,” he insisted.
Security Guarantees Key to Peace
European leaders have united behind demands that any ceasefire must come with “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine, potentially including Western peacekeepers to prevent Russia using any pause to prepare new offensives.
We need robust security guarantees for Kyiv and there need to be Ukrainian forces there in order to defend the sovereignty of the country,” Merz stated, adding that Ukraine would need continued Western military aid.
Zelenskyy accused Putin of preparing for new battlefield operations rather than peace, citing intelligence reports and Russian troop movements. “No one preparing for peace acts this way,” he said in his nightly address on Monday.
The Ukrainian president revealed Trump had promised to contact him “immediately after his Alaska meeting” to discuss the results and plan next steps together. “We really hope that the immediate ceasefire will be one main issue during this meeting,” Zelenskyy said.
Sanctions Threat Looms
Trump has set Friday as his deadline for Putin to agree to peace or face “very severe consequences,” though he declined to specify what those might entail. Speaking at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, the President confirmed consequences would follow if Putin refuses to stop the war.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that Putin was “just pretending to negotiate” and attempting to circumvent Trump’s threatened sanctions while offering little in return. Zelenskyy called for sanctions to be “strengthened if Russia will not go for a ceasefire in Alaska.
The virtual summit included three consecutive video conferences, with EU leaders holding separate discussions before and after the call with Trump. A third meeting of the “coalition of the willing” – military allies supporting Ukraine – was chaired jointly by Germany, Britain and France.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has “deep respect for all parties involved in this conflict,” though she characterised the war as something that “broke out” between Russia and Ukraine rather than as a Russian invasion.
Historic Summit Approaches
Friday’s Alaska meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will mark Putin’s first visit to the United States in a decade and his first face-to-face meeting with Trump since 2019. The Russian leader last visited America in September 2015 for a UN General Assembly meeting with Barack Obama.
Trump described the upcoming summit as a “feel-out meeting” where he could assess Putin’s intentions, claiming: “Probably in the first two minutes I’ll know if a deal can be made. Because that’s what I do.”
Merz pledged Germany would help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems free from Western-imposed limitations, as European nations scramble to bolster Kyiv’s position ahead of potential negotiations.
As diplomatic efforts intensify, the death toll from Russia’s invasion continues to mount, with the war now in its fourth year since Putin’s forces launched their full-scale assault in February 2022.
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