US President Donald Trump will join a virtual conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and top European leaders ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
The call, set for Wednesday, comes amid unease in Kyiv and European capitals over what could emerge from the first US-Russia summit since 2021. Trump has described the Alaska meeting as a “feel-out” session in his push for a ceasefire in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
Last week, Trump had sparked concern by saying that any deal would involve “some swapping of territories.” Zelensky warned that any peace agreement excluding Kyiv would lead to “dead solutions.”
“Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” Zelensky said on social media on Saturday.
Zelenskiy has travelled to Berlin for the conference, which will begin with a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz before a video call with the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, and the European Union at 2 pm (1200 GMT).
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte will also attend. Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance is scheduled to join at 3 pm (1300 GMT).
European leaders want to ensure that Ukraine’s interests are not sidelined during the Alaska talks.
“We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen – engaging with US partners and staying coordinated and united on the European side. Still a lot of time until Friday,” said one senior official from Eastern Europe to Reuters.
Washington has played down expectations. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday the summit would be a “listening exercise” for Trump “to hear what it would take to get to a deal.”
Trump’s decision to meet Putin was a shift after weeks of expressing frustration over Moscow’s resistance to a US peace proposal. He has said his envoy made “great progress” in talks in Moscow.
But European officials remain wary. Half a dozen senior officials told Reuters there is a risk of a settlement that could undermine Ukraine’s and Europe’s security. They stressed that maintaining European unity would be essential if that happened.
After the call with Trump, the “coalition of the willing”, a group of countries preparing plans to support Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached, will also meet online.
On the ground, the war shows no signs of slowing. Russian forces have increased pressure in the eastern Donbas, tightening their hold on Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka.
Zelenskiy has ruled out agreeing to a deal that requires Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the region. “That,” he said on Tuesday, “would deprive Ukraine of a vast defensive network in the region, easing the way for a Russian push deeper into Ukraine in the future.”
He added that territorial issues could only be addressed after a ceasefire and with security guarantees in place.
A Gallup poll last week found that 69 per cent of Ukrainians support a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible, but many reject a peace deal that demands sweeping concessions.