European leaders pave the way for Trump-Zelensky-Putin summit

The European leaders affirmed Saturday their readiness to facilitate a summit between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, the day after the meeting in Alaska between the Russian and U.S. presidents on the conflict in Ukraine.

"We are ready to work with Presidents Trump and Zelensky with a view to a tripartite summit, with the support of Europe," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement.

European countries vow to "further strengthen sanctions" against Russia

European leaders also said they were "ready to keep up the pressure" on Russia through sanctions following the summit in Alaska between Presidents Trump and Putin, which aimed to achieve a cease-fire.

"We will continue to strengthen sanctions and broader economic measures to put pressure on Russia's war economy until a just and lasting peace is achieved," the document said.

"A solid and lasting peace"

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for his part, praised Donald Trump's efforts to bring us "closer than ever to an end to Russia's illegal war in Ukraine," after the leader held talks with Putin.

"While progress has been made, the next step must be more talks" involving Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Starmer said in a statement after a briefing with Trump and other European leaders following the conclusion of the meeting in Alaska.

French President Emmanuel Macron also said Saturday that support for Kiev and pressure on Russia must continue until "a solid and lasting peace" is achieved in Ukraine, that any process must be accompanied by "unwavering security guarantees."

Macron assured that it was "essential to learn all the lessons of the last 30 years, and in particular Russia's well-established propensity not to honor its own commitments," in a message posted on X following the various diplomatic contacts following the summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska.