European Union leaders have declared that Ukrainians must have the freedom to decide their own future, issuing a united statement on Tuesday ahead of a high-stakes meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska later this week.
The joint statement, signed by all EU member states except Hungary, came as Kyiv and its allies voiced concern that Washington—Ukraine’s largest arms supplier—might push for peace terms unfavourable to Ukraine. European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy are set to speak with Trump on Wednesday before the summit.
“Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the EU leaders said, stressing that any diplomatic solution must safeguard both Ukraine’s and Europe’s security interests.
Frontline Escalation
Meanwhile, fighting on the ground has intensified. Ukraine’s DeepState war map reported that Russian forces advanced up to 10 kilometres in two directions near Dobropillia, approaching their target city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces announced they had retaken two villages in the Sumy region on Monday, marking rare territorial gains in a year dominated by Russian advances. Moscow launched its latest Sumy offensive after President Vladimir Putin demanded a “buffer zone” in the area.
Tatarigami_UA, a Ukrainian ex-officer tracking the conflict, noted on X that Russia has historically escalated offensives before negotiations, adding that while the situation is “serious,” it is far from catastrophic.
Political Divide in Europe
Zelenskiy welcomed the EU’s support, warning that Russia was preparing new offensive operations. “Indeed, we all support President Trump’s determination, and together we must shape positions that will not allow Russia to deceive the world once again,” he said on X.
However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key European ally of Putin, criticised his fellow EU leaders. “The only sensible action for EU leaders is to initiate an EU-Russia summit, based on the example of the U.S.-Russia meeting,” Orban wrote.
Trump, who has floated a controversial “territory swap” as part of a potential deal, has recently increased U.S. weapons support to Ukraine and threatened tariffs on Russian oil buyers—though that ultimatum has now expired. His upcoming meeting with Putin will be the first U.S.-Russia summit on American soil since 2021, fuelling fears in Europe that U.S. domestic priorities could overshadow broader security concerns.
Source: Tovima.com
