European leaders have issued a united declaration backing Ukraine’s right to participate in any negotiations to end the war with Russia. In a statement coordinated by the European Commission and endorsed by the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland, they stressed that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
The declaration comes as US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday. The White House has floated the possibility of a trilateral session including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but for now the summit is set to be a one-on-one encounter at Russia’s request.
Zelensky warned that any deal struck without Kyiv’s direct involvement would be “dead decisions” that undermine real peace. On his Telegram channel he wrote: “Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace.” He decried proposals to swap occupied territories—labeling them strategic ploys that would simply allow Russia to regroup.
CBS News reports the White House
