European leaders have rallied in support of Ukraine after a defiant Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that a peace plan may involve giving up land to Russia.
President Trump, who is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska as he seeks to bring an end to the war, has said the talks could include “some swapping of territories”.
But an angry President Zelensky hit back on Saturday, insisting Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier”.
Members of the so-called coalition of the willing – countries which have pledged support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression – were quick to show their support, insisting that any deal must include Ukraine and Europe, warning its security is “at stake”.
The joint leaders’ statement from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said: “We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.
“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”
The show of unity came as the UK hosted a hastily arranged meeting of national security advisers from the US, Ukraine and European countries on Saturday. The meeting at David Lammy’s official country retreat, Chevening, Kent, and held with US vice-president JD Vance, was called to “discuss progress towards securing a just and lasting peace”.
Sir Keir Starmer on Saturday reiterated “his unwavering support for Ukraine and its people”, while France’s President Emmanuel Macron said the UK and Germany were “ready to work as productively as possible for the sake of real peace” after a call with Sir Keir and Chancellor Frederich Merz.
In their call, Sir Keir and President Macron said they “welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine and end Russia’s war of aggression, and discussed how to further work closely with President Trump and President Zelensky over the coming days”.
Confirming next week’s summit with the US president in Alaska, the Kremlin said Mr Trump and Mr Putin would focus on discussing options for achieving a “long-term peaceful resolution”.
President Putin is expected to use the meeting to set out his demands, including that Ukraine give up two eastern regions as well as Crimea.
Announcing the talks to reporters at the White House on Friday, Mr Trump said any deal may include the “some swapping of territories”, adding: “We’re going to get some back. We’re going to get some switched. There will be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”
However, Mr Zelensky has rejected that notion and said his country would not violate its constitution by ceding territory.
“Ukrainians will not give their land to occupiers,” he said. He also warned that any peace deal that excluded Kyiv would lead to “dead solutions”.
President Trump’s decision to meet Mr Putin has fuelled fears that Ukraine could be sidelined in the efforts to end the war.
But Mr Zelensky issued a staunch warning to the international community that any agreement reached without Ukraine would ultimately fail.
He said: “Any decisions that are without Ukraine are at the same time decisions against peace. They will not bring anything. These are dead decisions. They will never work.”
After his call with Sir Keir, Mr Zelensky said the two men “shared the same view on the need for a truly lasting peace” and on the danger of Russia’s plan to reduce everything to discussing the impossible.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “Both leaders welcomed President Trump’s desire to bring this barbaric war to an end and agreed that we must keep up the pressure on Putin to end his illegal war. The prime minister ended the call by reiterating his unwavering support for Ukraine and its people.”
Mr Macron insisted that “Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians” and warned that “Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake”.
Kristen Michal, Estonia’s prime minister, joined the chorus of support, saying she agreed “that security decisions for Ukraine matter for everyone in Europe”. Pointing to demands for Ukraine to give up land to secure peace, she added: “Respect for territorial integrity is the foundation of stable international relations and changing borders by force can never be accepted.”
This was echoed by Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, who wrote on X: “Any lasting settlement must respect UA’s sovereignty – nothing about UA without UA. DK stands with our partners for a ceasefire built on Ukrainian strength and Western unity and resolve.”
And after his phone call with Mr Zelensky, Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, said: “We must reach a just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We must remain united.”
Russia has previously claimed four Ukrainian regions – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – as well as the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
Mr Putin’s forces do not fully control all land in those areas and Moscow has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the parts they still control.
