Politico finds out details of Wednesday talks between Trump, Zelenskyy and European leaders
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has initiated urgent video conference talks involving European leaders, the US and Ukrainian presidents, and the NATO secretary general, scheduled for 13 August.
A German government spokesperson told Politico that Merz initiated the 13 August videoconference ahead of the expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The leaders are set to discuss options for pressuring Russia, the issue of Ukraine’s occupied territories, security guarantees for Ukraine and the potential stages of peace talks.
In fact, three consecutive videoconferences are scheduled. The first, at 14:00, will last about an hour and bring together the leaders of Germany, France, the UK, Poland, Italy, and Finland, alongside the heads of the European Commission and European Council, the NATO secretary general, and the president of Ukraine.
After that, at 15:00, another discussion will take place with Trump, his Vice President JD Vance, EU leaders and Zelenskyy.
Lastly, the group known as the coalition of the willing – military allies supporting Ukraine – will convene for a joint call at 16:30, chaired by Germany, the UK, and France.
The European Commission has officially confirmed that its president, Ursula von der Leyen, will attend the talks.
Amid the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggested that a future agreement might imply de facto recognition of Russia's control over parts of Ukraine but said he does not believe the Kremlin leader will ultimately "be rewarded" for starting the war.
US Vice President JD Vance suggested that neither Ukraine nor Russia will be happy with the outcome of a US-brokered settlement of the war.