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THE EUROPEAN UNION and the United Kingdom have said they “must be part of any negotiations” to end in the war in Ukraine after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the war yesterday.
Trump took the world by surprise as he announced the phone call on his Truth Social platform earlier, saying he and Putin had “both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” using an unconfirmed figure for the toll in the conflict.
The US president said they had agreed to “work together very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations” and to “have our respective teams start negotiations immediately” on Ukraine.
Trump later called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not included on the call with Putin.
Zelenskyy has in the past refused to cede any territory after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but earlier this week said he is prepared to offer Russia a swap of land if Trump manages to bring both countries to the negotiating table.
In an address to his nation last night, Zelenskyy said that he had a “meaningful conversation” with US President Donald Trump and that the leaders discussed ways to end Russia’s nearly three-year invasion of Ukraine.
“We long talked about opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together at the team level,” Zelenskyy said on social media, adding that he was “grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can accomplish together.”
Zelenskyy said that Trump “briefed us on his conversation with Putin”.
In his evening address to the nation, Zelensky said the call was “very substantive” and that he and Trump had discussed “many nuances – diplomatic, military and economic”.
“We believe America’s strength is enough – together with us, together with all our partners – to push Russia and Putin to peace,” he said.
Following Trump’s shock announcement yesterday, diplomats across the western world voiced concerns that Ukraine’s interests may not be represented adequately in any talks.
This was outlined last night in a joint statement signed by France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The statement said that they were all “ready to enhance our support for Ukraine.”
“We commit to its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s war of aggression.
“We share the goal to keep supporting Ukraine until a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace is reached. A peace that guarantees the interest of Ukraine and our own.”
The statement continued:
We are looking forward to discussing the way ahead together with our American allies. Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength. Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations. Ukraine should be provided with strong security guarantees. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is a necessary condition for strong transatlantic security.
The statement also indirectly addressed comments made by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Brussels yesterday who laid out US red lines that Europe should ramp up spending on its own defence.
Hegseth told reporters upon his arrival in Brussels today that there is “no betrayal” and the US is “interested in peace”.
“No country, as President Trump has pointed out, has made a larger commitment to the Ukrainian mission than the United States of America – north of $300 billion.”
He is to visit the Dachau concentration camp memorial on the eve of the critical Ukraine talks.
Ukrainian MP Maria Mezentseva told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that they have American support, but that the negotiations will involve many countries, not just the US, so it will not have the final say.
She also said that Ireland has become “an island of hope” for Ukraine, as it accepted refugees.
European Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath said Ireland is an important stakeholder in the talks, but that the voice of the Ukrainian people should be heard.
In last night’s statement, the nations said:
“We recall that the security of the European continent is our common responsibility. We are therefore working together to strengthen our collective defense capabilities.”
In his statement yesterday, Trump revealed that he expected Putin in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine peace talks but details of such a meeting have not been confirmed.
Trump said he expected it to happen “in the not too distant future” and added that Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman — who played a key role in a Russia-US prisoner exchange this week – would also be involved.
The Kremlin said the call between the two leaders lasted nearly one-and-a-half hours. The two leaders had agreed that the “time has come to work together” and that Putin has invited Trump to Moscow, it said.
Before taking office on 20 January, Trump had promised to end the Ukraine war “within 24 hours”.
With reporting by – © AFP 2025
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