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Trump Coordinates With Kyiv and European Allies Before Alaska Summit With Putin

European and Ukrainian officials urged President Trump to demand a ceasefire before any territorial negotiations during Wednesday’s virtual meeting ahead of his August 15 summit with Vladimir Putin.

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit on July 7, 2017, in Hamburg, Germany. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
With Trump struggling to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, the US president's rhetoric towards both Zelensky and Putin has changed since his return to the White House.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) wait for the beginning of a virtual talk between European leaders with the US President on the Ukraine war ahead of the summit between the US and Russian leaders, in Berlin, Germany, on August 13, 2025. European leaders will hold online talks with US President Donald Trump, hoping to convince him to respect Ukraine's interests when he discusses the war with Putin in Alaska on Friday. JOHN MACDOUGALL/Pool via REUTERS
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

Overview

  • On August 13, President Trump hosted a video call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key EU leaders to set joint expectations for Friday’s meeting.
  • Trump has downplayed prospects for a major breakthrough, describing the Alaska talks as a “feel-out meeting” and pledging to debrief Ukrainian and European partners before and after his session with Vladimir Putin.
  • Zelenskyy told Trump in Berlin that Putin is “bluffing” about peace and warned that Russia’s intensified strikes along the Donetsk line are aimed at strengthening his hand.
  • EU heads of state insisted any settlement must include Kyiv at the table and make a ceasefire the precondition for discussing territorial adjustments.
  • Meanwhile, Russian forces have pressed forward near Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka, underscoring the urgency and risk of freezing current front-line gains.