Leaders across the world on Saturday pledged continued support for Ukraine and stressed that “dialogue and diplomacy” remain the only path to bring about an early end to the conflict, following the summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
The talks in Alaska drew strong reactions from global leaders, who underlined the need to maintain pressure on Moscow while backing Kyiv.
India welcomed the summit, describing the leadership shown by Trump and Putin in the pursuit of peace as “highly commendable.”
“India welcomes the Summit meeting in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable,” New Delhi said in a statement.
“India appreciates the progress made in the Summit. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky backed Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
“Ukraine emphasises that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this,” Zelensky wrote on X.
He confirmed that he would meet Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday “to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.”
Stressing the importance of Europe’s role, he said reliable security guarantees must be ensured “together with America,” adding that Kyiv had received “positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security.”
French President Emmanuel Macron called it essential to keep up pressure on Moscow.
Writing on X, he said France would work with the United States and partners in the “Coalition of the Willing” to push for a lasting peace with robust security guarantees. He said the coalition would convene in the near future.
Sweden's foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said, "The Swedish Government will now engage in close dialogue with Ukraine and with European and transatlantic partners on the way forward."
"It is clear that there must be increased pressure on Russia to bring an end to the war and lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace based on international law. Sweden's military, political and civil support to Ukraine remains unwavering," she added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed signs of American commitment. “This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more,” he said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the latest developments as “a glimmer of hope” and said, “Italy is doing its part, along with its Western allies.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen wrote, “The EU is working closely with @ZelenskyyUA and the United States to reach a just and lasting peace. Strong security guarantees that protect Ukrainian and European vital security interests are essential.”
EU chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas said, "The U.S. holds the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. The EU will work with Ukraine and the U.S. so that Russia’s aggression does not succeed and that any peace is sustainable. Moscow won’t end the war until it realises it can’t continue."
"So Europe will continue to back Ukraine, including by working on a 19th Russia sanctions package," she added.
Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide, speaking to reporters in Oslo, said Putin had repeated “known arguments” about the so-called “root causes” of the war, which he described as excuses for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Our view is clear: it is important we must continue to put pressure on Russia, and even increase it, to give the clear signal to Russia that it must pay the price,” he said.
He added that while unity among allies was critical, no immediate changes were visible on the ground.
“I don’t believe it will have any effect on the battlefield right now. Too little concrete information has come out, and we see no movement at all in the Russian position,” Eide said.
(With inputs from Reuters)