EU steps up pressure on US on peace terms for Ukraine

European leaders have appealed to US President Donald Trump to make a clear statement to Putin that Ukraine's interests must be protected and Europe's security is not subject to compromise, Politico reports.

Recall that the meeting will be held on Friday in Alaska. However, no European leader, like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been invited to the talks in Alaska.

In a joint statement, 26 of the 27 EU countries (except Hungary) welcomed Trump's efforts but stressed, "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine." The leaders also said, "International borders should not be changed by force."

EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas emphasised after the emergency meeting of foreign ministers that no concessions to Moscow should be discussed until an unconditional ceasefire with reliable monitoring and firm security guarantees is concluded. She also promised to prepare a new package of sanctions and to continue financial support for Kiev as well as its integration into the EU.

This week, the leaders of Germany, France, Poland, Finland, Britain and the head of the European Commission said any agreement must take into account Ukraine's "territorial integrity" - a diplomatic formulation that rules out a forced land transfer to Russia.

Despite this, there are voices in the US about possible "land swaps". Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Trump's chief negotiator Steve Whitkoff have allowed such an option. Trump himself hinted at the possibility of concessions, but added: "We will try to give Ukraine back some of the territories that it has lost."

Trump's position is gradually converging with the European one after months of fruitless contacts with the Kremlin. He expresses displeasure that Putin is "stalling" and is cutting back on the expected timeline for reaching a ceasefire.

The EU is stepping up the pressure, drawing on its leverage:

• military and financial aid to Ukraine now exceeds US aid(according to the Kiel Institute of Economics),

• some €200bn of frozen Russian assets are held at the Belgian clearing house Euroclear,

• support for Kiev's demands for the return of prisoners and abducted children.

European leaders are making it clear: without taking these conditions and Ukraine's own participation into account, any negotiations will be incomplete and potentially dangerous for European security.