Trump Pushes for Ukraine Ceasefire, But EU Allies Draw Red Line on Territory Talks: Inside the Virtual Huddle with Zelensky
US President Donald Trump held a virtual discussion on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, emphasizing his goal of securing a ceasefire during his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after the call, revealed that Trump expressed a desire to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine through the Putin talks. Macron stressed that any discussions on territorial exchanges must involve Ukraine directly, adding, “The American will is to obtain a ceasefire,” and noting the conversation allowed leaders to outline their expectations clearly.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Zelensky addressed the media post-call, with Merz affirming Europe’s commitment to ensuring the Trump-Putin summit succeeds. “Us Europeans therefore do what we can to set the course for this meeting in the right way,” he said, highlighting Zelensky’s active role in preparations.
Merz underscored that Ukraine must participate in future negotiations and reiterated the European stance against altering borders through violence. “We made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table at the next meeting. 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. If Ukraine is prepared to talk about territorial negotiations, then we need to make sure that there are no violent changes to the border,” he explained.
He also called for strong security guarantees for Kyiv, including Ukrainian forces to protect sovereignty and reliable Western support. “The strategy is based on supporting Ukraine and putting pressure on Russia. So if in Alaska there’s no movement on the Russian side, then the US and the Europeans need to increase the pressure,” Merz added, expressing optimism: “There is hope that something is moving. There’s hope that there could be peace in Ukraine.”