European leaders rally behind Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

European nations person rallied down Ukraine, saying bid successful the war-torn federation can't beryllium resolved without Kyiv, up of an upcoming gathering betwixt U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin successful Alaska.

Trump said adjacent Friday's gathering with his Russian counterpart connected U.S. ungraded would absorption connected ending the war, present successful its 4th year.

In response, Zelenskyy thanked European allies successful a post connected X, penning Sunday: "The extremity of the warfare indispensable beryllium fair, and I americium grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people."

Saturday's connection by apical European leaders came aft the White House confirmed the U.S. president was consenting to assistance Putin the one-on-one gathering Russia has agelong pushed for, and suggestions from Trump that a bid woody could see "some swapping of territories." That raised fears that Kyiv whitethorn beryllium pressured into giving up onshore oregon accepting different curbs connected its sovereignty.

A White House official, who spoke connected information of anonymity arsenic they aren't allowed to talk publicly, told The Associated Press that Trump remained unfastened to a trilateral acme with some the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, but for now, helium volition person a bilateral gathering requested by Putin.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Saturday with apical European and Ukrainian officials astatine the British Foreign Secretary's play residence to sermon however to extremity the war.

Trump antecedently said helium would conscionable with Putin careless of whether the Russian person agreed to conscionable with Zelenskyy.

The Trump-Putin gathering whitethorn beryllium pivotal successful a warfare that began erstwhile Russia invaded its occidental neighbour and has led to tens of thousands of deaths, though there's nary warrant it volition halt the warring since Moscow and Kyiv stay acold isolated connected their conditions for peace.

Saturday's statement, signed by the president of the European Union and leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the UK, stressed the request for a "just and lasting peace" for Kyiv, including "robust and credible" information guarantees.

"Ukraine has the state of prime implicit its ain destiny. Meaningful negotiations tin lone instrumentality spot successful the discourse of a ceasefire oregon simplification of hostilities," the connection said.

"The way to bid successful Ukraine cannot beryllium decided without Ukraine. We stay committed to the rule that planetary borders indispensable not beryllium changed by force," the Europeans added.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News connected Sunday that a bully woody would mean preventing an emboldened Russia, and aggressors elsewhere, from trying to erstwhile again redraw borders by force.

A Trump state and Russia hawk, Graham nevertheless said that "you can't extremity a warfare without talking."

"I bash anticipation that Zelenskyy tin beryllium portion of the process. I person each assurance successful the satellite that (President Trump) is going to spell to conscionable Putin from a presumption of strength, that he's going to look retired for Europe and Ukrainian needs to extremity this warfare honorably," helium said.

He argued that "Ukraine is not going to evict each Russian" soldier, but said the West should springiness Kyiv robust information guarantees, support immoderate of its forces connected the crushed "as travel wires," and support arming Ukraine "so that Russia volition beryllium deterred by the astir lethal service connected the continent of Europe."

A monthlong U.S.-led propulsion to execute a truce successful Ukraine has truthful acold proved fruitless, with Kyiv agreeing successful rule portion the Kremlin has held retired for presumption much to its liking.

Trump besides moved up an ultimatum to enforce further sanctions connected Russia and present secondary tariffs targeting countries that bargain Russian lipid if the Kremlin did not determination toward a settlement. The deadline was Friday. The White House did not reply questions Saturday astir imaginable sanctions.

The Kremlin earlier this week reiterated demands that Ukraine springiness up territory, wantonness its bid to articulation NATO, and judge limits connected its military, successful speech for a withdrawal of Russian troops from the remainder of the country. Particularly galling for Kyiv is Moscow's insistence that it cede pockets of eastbound and confederate Ukraine, the Kremlin claims to person annexed, contempt lacking afloat subject control.

Mark Galeotti, a British adept successful Russian authorities who heads the Mayak Intelligence consultancy, says Moscow's maneuver of encircling towns successful eastbound Ukraine has brought a drawstring of territorial gains for Russia, and Putin "does not look to consciousness nether pressure."

For the Kremlin, "further delaying immoderate much superior U.S. enactment and the optics of a gathering with the U.S. president volition already beryllium wins," Galeotti argued successful an investigation published Sunday by the UK's Sunday Times newspaper.

Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukraine "will not springiness Russia immoderate awards for what it has done" and that "Ukrainians volition not springiness their onshore to the occupier."

Ukrainian officials antecedently told the AP privately that Kyiv would beryllium amenable to a bid woody that would de facto admit Ukraine's inability to regain mislaid territories militarily. But Zelenskyy connected Saturday insisted that formally ceding onshore was retired of the question.

Galeotti argued that immoderate woody that involves Ukraine abandoning territory would beryllium "agonizing" and politically unsafe for Zelenskyy.

Andriy Yermak, a apical adjutant to Zelenskyy, noted connected Sunday that Kyiv volition strive to boost its presumption up of the planned Trump-Putin meeting.

"Ahead lies an important week of diplomacy," helium said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday that European leaders are "intensively preparing" up of the Alaska summit, portion they "hope and expect" that Zelenskyy volition beryllium invited.

Merz told Germany's nationalist broadcaster ARD that helium has for weeks been encouraging Washington to toughen sanctions against Russia, adding that "Putin lone acts nether pressure."

Mikhail Kasyanov, Putin's archetypal premier curate and aboriginal a governmental opponent, likewise told the BBC Sunday that the Kremlin would beryllium much consenting to negociate earnestly and marque immoderate concessions erstwhile sanctions person further strained Russia's economy.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte connected Sunday praised Washington for taking steps specified arsenic allowing much subject instrumentality to travel to Ukraine and imposing secondary sanctions connected India for purchasing Russian oil, saying Trump "clearly is putting unit connected Putin."

"Next Friday volition beryllium important due to the fact that it volition beryllium astir investigating Putin — however superior helium is — connected bringing this unspeakable warfare to an end," Rutte said successful an interrogation with ABC News.