3 High-Stakes Calls: Zelensky, Trump and European Leaders Align Ahead of Putin Summit

Leaders from Ukraine and across Europe will hold three high-level online meetings with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Aug. 13, ahead of his summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

The talks are aimed at underscoring the risks of sidelining Kyiv in pursuit of a ceasefire deal, according to a Reuters report. 

German government spokespersons said the first video conference, set for 12:00 GMT (14:00 CET), will bring together Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and leaders from Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, and the European Union.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also join the call, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Kyiv hopes the meeting will serve as a European counterweight to the upcoming Alaska summit between Trump and Putin, as outlined by Reuters.

At 13:00 GMT (15:00 CET), Trump and US Vice President JD Vance are expected to speak separately with European leaders, followed by a 14:30 GMT session of the so-called “coalition of the willing” – countries working on plans to back Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached.

European leaders, while keen to avoid provoking Trump, have stressed that peace efforts must include Ukraine directly. Half a dozen senior European officials told Reuters they fear a deal that could undermine both Ukraine’s and Europe’s security, and that unity among allies will be critical.

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A source familiar with US internal discussions told Reuters it’s possible Trump could seek a deal with Putin without involving Ukraine or the EU – though such a move could create serious tensions with both.

As previously reported by Kyiv Post, European allies are warning that no peace deal for Ukraine should be negotiated without Kyiv’s direct involvement.

“This diplomatic friction stems from growing concerns that the Trump administration may push for a settlement that forces Ukraine to cede territory, an idea the president has publicly referred to as “land swapping,” the report read.

Moreover, in a joint statement, EU leaders stressed that the path to peace “cannot be decided without Ukraine” and that “international borders must not be changed by force.”

The tension has extended beyond diplomatic halls to the streets of Anchorage, Alaska, where protests are planned ahead of Putin’s arrival for Friday’s summit.

The nonprofit group Stand Up Alaska announced a rally for Thursday, calling Putin an “international war criminal” – a reference to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes.

“We’re here to send a clear message to both Donald Trump and Putin: Alaska stands firmly against authoritarianism,” a spokesperson for the group said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed claims that simply holding the summit amounts to a concession to Putin. He described it as a crucial “feel-out meeting” in which Trump wanted to personally assess the Russian leader.

According to Rubio, Trump believes, “I’ve got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face to face.”

Zelensky criticized the meeting, calling it a “personal victory” for Putin and warning that it allowed the Russian leader to “come out of isolation” and “somehow postpone sanctions.”

Zelensky also vowed that Ukrainian forces would not withdraw from the Russian-occupied Donbas region, despite Trump’s suggestion to do so.

The Ukrainian president warned that abandoning Donbas would set the stage for “a third war” and future Russian offensives against Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv.

“We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do that,” he said, stressing that the region was “illegally occupied” and served as a springboard for further attacks.

The Anchorage summit will be the first meeting between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021, when Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva.

Zelensky said he had received a “signal” from US envoy to Moscow Steve Witkoff that Russia might agree to a ceasefire during the talks – the first such indication from the Kremlin.

The White House confirmed that the meeting was arranged at Putin’s request. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s goal was to leave Alaska with “a better understanding of how we can end this war.”