Alaska summit tests Western resolve on Ukraine peace terms

The upcoming Alaska summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is shaping up as a high-stakes test of how far Washington is willing to go to end the war in Ukraine, and how closely European and Ukrainian voices will be heard in the process. Trump has described Friday’s meeting as a “feelout” to gauge Putin’s intentions, while European leaders and Kyiv have pressed for any negotiations to include Ukraine and to avoid concessions that would redraw international borders or compromise Kyiv’s sovereignty. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said Kyiv would not accept withdrawals from Donbas and urged that any peace effort be conducted with Ukraine at the table, a stance echoed by European partners who warn that peace should not be decided behind Kyiv’s back.

Leading European officials, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have organized a coordinated effort to keep Ukraine’s interests center stage. Zelensky himself traveled to Berlin for talks with Merz and other European leaders before the Alaska meeting, and he stressed that Ukraine must be part of any discussions about its future. The European Union leaders reiterated that the path...