The governments of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are expected to decide on Sunday whether their leaders will travel to the United States for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Germany’s Bild daily reported that the governments of Merz, Macron and Starmer plan to coordinate their positions and take a joint decision on who, if anyone, will make the trip to the US for Trump’s talks with Zelenskyy scheduled for August 18. The report, citing Russian news agency Tass, added that such a move would require an official invitation from Washington, which has not yet been issued.
Trump has suggested that Zelenskyy invite European politicians to the US for the meeting, but no formal invitations have been extended, according to Bild. European leaders, it added, are wary of attending an event that could serve primarily as a publicity exercise.
Separately, a US daily reported, citing the Elysee Palace, that the so-called “coalition of the willing” will convene a meeting via video link on Sunday. Starmer, Merz and Macron, who earlier confirmed they would hold talks without announcing a date, are expected to join an online discussion at 3 p.m. local time (1 p.m. GMT) to discuss “next steps as part of the discussion on peace in Ukraine."
The discussions among European leaders come amid reports that Trump, following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, has proposed a peace deal under which Ukraine would cede the remainder of the Donbas region to Russia, including areas not yet under Moscow’s control. In return, Kyiv and Europe would be offered a ceasefire along current battlefronts and security guarantees.
Putin and Trump met on Friday at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Alaska. Their talks lasted nearly three hours, beginning with a one-on-one conversation inside Trump’s limousine en route to the main venue, followed by a small-group session with three officials from each side.
The Russian delegation included Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while the American side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Speaking to the press after the talks, Putin said discussions largely centred on resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Trump described the summit as “very productive” and later held phone calls with Zelenskyy, EU leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Following those conversations, Trump said Ukraine and Russia should move directly towards a final peace agreement, abandoning the idea of a temporary ceasefire.
Trump is set to meet Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday. He has indicated that, if those talks prove successful, another meeting with Putin will be arranged.
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