Zelensky Gets EU And NATO Support Ahead Of Trump-Putin Negotiations This Week

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won support from the European Union and NATO on Sunday, as he garnered diplomatic support ahead of this week's Russia-US summit.

The support was very important when Kyiv worried Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump would try to dictate the requirement to end the 3.5-year war.

President Zelensky said any decision taken without Ukraine would fail and could not be implemented.

On Saturday, British, French, German, Italian, Polish, Finnish and European Commission leaders said any diplomatic solutions should protect the security interests of Ukraine and Europe.

"The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously," European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday.

"Any agreement between the US and Russia must involve Ukraine and the European Union, as this is a security issue for Ukraine and the rest of Europe," he said, saying EU foreign ministers would meet on Monday to discuss the next steps.

Earlier, President Trump, who for weeks threatened new sanctions against Russia for failing to stop the conflict, announced on Friday he would hold a summit with President Putin on August 15 in Alaska.

A White House official said on Saturday President Trump was open to President Zelensky's presence, but preparations are currently still for a bilateral meeting with Putin.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin leader last week ruled out the possibility of meeting President Zelensky, saying the requirements for such a meeting "say it's still far away" from being met.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told the ABC News news network the summit on Friday "will test President Putin, how serious he is in ending this terrible war".

"Of course, this will concern security guarantees, but also about the absolute need to admit Ukraine determines its own future, Ukraine must become a sovereign nation, which determines its own geopolitical future," he said.

President Trump said the potential deal would involve "some regional exchange for the benefit of both sides", a statement that exacerbates Ukraine's concerns they may face pressure to give up more territory.

Russia, which launched a massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, now controls nearly a fifth of the country's territory.

Secretary General Rutte said a future peace agreement could not include legal recognition of Russia's control of Ukrainian territory, although it may include de facto recognition.

He compared it to the situation after the Second World War, when the United States recognized Baltic countries consisting of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, de facto controlled by the Soviet Union, but did not recognize their legal annexation.

"The end of the war must be fair, and I thank everyone who supports Ukraine and our people today," President Zelensky said Sunday.

A European official said Europe had submitted a counter-proposal against President Trump, but declined to provide details. On the other hand, Russian officials accused Europe of trying to thwart President Trump's attempt to end the war.

"European stupid people are trying to prevent America's efforts to help resolve the Ukraine conflict," Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev wrote on social media on Sunday.