BERLIN: A number of European leaders on Saturday (Aug 16) collectively pledged to proceed assist for Ukraine and preserve strain on Russia till the warfare in Ukraine ends, after a summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The joint assertion from leaders, together with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was issued after Trump briefed them on his talks with Putin.
It stated the subsequent step should be talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and that they had been able to work with Trump and Zelenskyy in direction of a three-way summit with European assist.
Trump stated after his talks with Putin that Ukraine ought to comply with a deal to finish the warfare with Russia.
He stated he had agreed with the Russian chief that the easiest way to do that was to go straight to a peace settlement quite than through a ceasefire, one thing hitherto opposed by Kyiv and its European allies.
The European assertion – additionally signed by EU Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Council President Antonio Costa – stated Ukraine will need to have “ironclad” safety ensures to defend its territorial integrity.
“Will probably be as much as Ukraine to make selections on its territory. Worldwide borders should not be modified by pressure.
“Our assist to Ukraine will proceed. We’re decided to do extra to maintain Ukraine robust in an effort to obtain an finish to the preventing and a simply and lasting peace,” the assertion stated.
“So long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we stand able to uphold the strain on Russia. We are going to proceed to strengthen sanctions and wider financial measures to place strain on Russia’s warfare economic system till there’s a simply and lasting peace.”
