WASHINGTON: Leaders of France, Germany, and Britain will hold a video call on Sunday to discuss steps towards ending the war in Ukraine.
This follows Donald Trump’s decision to drop his push for a ceasefire after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Securing a ceasefire had been one of Trump’s key demands before the meeting, which excluded Ukraine and its European allies.
However, after the summit yielded no clear breakthrough, Trump ruled out an immediate ceasefire, a move seen as favouring Putin’s push for long-term peace talks.
Ukraine and European allies have criticised this approach, calling it a tactic to buy time for Russian military gains.
Trump later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on his flight back to Washington.
He stated that all parties agreed the best way to end the war was through a direct peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire.
Trump added on his Truth Social platform that ceasefire deals often fail to hold.
Zelensky, set to visit Washington on Monday, expressed doubts about the shift in strategy, saying it “complicates the situation.”
He warned that Russia’s unwillingness to halt attacks raises concerns about its commitment to lasting peace.
An official briefed on Trump’s discussions revealed his support for Putin’s proposal to take full control of two Russian-held Ukrainian regions.
In exchange, Russia would freeze military advances in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Ukrainian forces still hold key cities.
Russia had previously claimed annexation of four Ukrainian regions despite not fully controlling any of them.
The official noted that Zelensky refused to cede Donbas, a region comprising Donetsk and Lugansk.
Trump also offered Ukraine security guarantees, a move praised by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as “significant progress.”
EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, however, accused Putin of prolonging negotiations without genuine intent to end the war.
She stated that Russia has no plans to stop the conflict soon.
Zelensky’s upcoming White House visit will be a key diplomatic focus.
An EU source confirmed several European leaders were invited to join the talks.
Zelensky’s last Oval Office meeting in February ended in a heated exchange over US aid.
He described his recent conversation with Trump as “substantive” and looked forward to discussing peace details in Washington.
Trump suggested in a Fox News interview that Zelensky must now take the lead in securing a peace deal.
European leaders welcomed plans for a trilateral summit but vowed to maintain pressure on Russia without a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported overnight Russian attacks involving 85 drones and a ballistic missile.
Putin called his summit with Trump “timely” and “very useful.”
He warned against “behind-the-scenes intrigues” that could disrupt progress towards peace. - AFP
