European Leaders Issue Joint Statement After US-Russia Summit: Ukraine Must Have "Ironclad Security Guarantees" | WPN World People News

After the U.S.-Russia summit concluded, despite lengthy talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the two sides failed to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump later wrote that the best way to end the war was not a ceasefire, but a “direct peace agreement,” stressing that his calls with President Zelensky and European leaders “went very well.” Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed support for Trump’s idea of a “U.S.-Ukraine-Russia trilateral meeting” and announced that he would travel to Washington on the 18th to meet with Trump to discuss concrete plans to end the war. Trump revealed that if progress goes smoothly, the next step would be arranging another meeting with Putin, emphasizing that “this could save millions of lives.”

Following the U.S.-Russia summit, leaders of major European nations quickly issued a joint statement, reaffirming their steadfast support for Ukraine and commitment to its security. The statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The statement stressed that Ukraine must have “ironclad security guarantees,” that its military capabilities and international cooperation should not be restricted, and that Russia has no right to veto Ukraine’s accession to the EU or NATO. European leaders unanimously declared that international borders cannot be changed by force, pledging to continue strengthening sanctions on Russia and imposing broader economic measures until a just and lasting peace is achieved.

European leaders also voiced public support for Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Trump’s diplomatic efforts on social media, saying they had brought the end of Russia’s illegal war “closer than ever,” while stressing that no negotiations could bypass Zelensky. He welcomed U.S. and European security guarantees and reiterated that Europe would continue to escalate sanctions until Putin ends his aggression. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression, Europe must stand firm in supporting Ukraine and maintaining pressure on Moscow. He emphasized that peace must be built on “robust security guarantees,” and reminded the international community of Russia’s repeated failures to honor its commitments over the past 30 years, reaffirming that France would “stand firmly alongside Ukraine.”