Worthy News

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BRUSSELS/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukraine and its key European allies have declared that any negotiations to end the war with Russia must be based on the current line of contact, rejecting Moscow’s territorial demands, as doubts grow over a planned summit between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The declaration — titled “Peace for Ukraine” — was signed or endorsed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations,” the statement said.

“We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.”

The document, published by the European External Action Service (EEAS), also accuses Russia of “stalling tactics” and pledges to intensify military and economic pressure on Moscow “until President Putin is ready to make peace.”

SUMMIT IN DOUBT

The call for unity came as U.S. and Russian officials acknowledged that the proposed Trump-Putin peace summit in Budapest is on hold. A U.S. official told the Associated Press the meeting was delayed after Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The White House confirmed there were “no immediate plans” for a summit, while the Kremlin said “no dates have been set” and that preparations “could take time,” according to Reuters and other outlets.

Lavrov dismissed the European-Ukrainian proposal, saying it contradicts the “understandings” reached with Trump and Putin during their August meeting in Alaska. Moscow maintains that Ukraine must cede the Donbas region and restrict NATO’s military role — conditions Kyiv and its allies continue to reject.

The joint text marks the first coordinated statement aligning European leaders and Ukraine on a common diplomatic framework since renewed fighting intensified along the eastern front.

“Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position — before, during, and after any ceasefire,” the statement added, vowing to expand sanctions and defence support.

PRESSURE FOR UNITY

European diplomats said further meetings in Brussels would focus on turning the declaration into concrete policy, including tougher measures against Russia’s defence industry and potential use of frozen Russian assets — estimated at about 140 billion euros ($150 billion) — to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Although the declaration references President Trump’s position, the United States is not a signatory. European officials have privately expressed concern over what they describe as “mixed messages” from Washington regarding Ukraine’s territorial integrity and U.S. support for a ceasefire along the current front lines.

The statement highlights a firm European-Ukrainian front on peace terms but also underscores growing diplomatic strains with both Washington and Moscow.

Unless the United States and Russia align with the proposal, analysts warn, the conflict may remain frozen — leaving Europe to shoulder much of the military, financial, and political burden of a prolonged war.

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