European nations are moving fast to influence the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin set for August 15, 2025, in Alaska.
While the meeting is being framed as a possible turning point in the long-running Ukraine conflict, leaders in Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Warsaw, and London worry their voices and Ukraine’s might get sidelined in what looks like a high-stakes show dominated by Washington and Moscow.
The big worry across Europe is that any peace deal hammered out without Ukraine’s direct say won’t hold water.
President Zelenskyy has already made it clear that any agreement reached behind Kyiv’s back would be “stillborn.”
European officials echo that, stressing that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity aren’t just symbols, they’re the backbone of post–Cold War European security, and giving them up would threaten the whole system.
Why is Europe worried about Trump-Putin meeting?
European nations are really worried Trump might be rushing this deal just to say it’s done, without making sure it actually holds.
There are talks that the summit might accept Russia’s demand for Ukraine to give up parts of eastern Ukraine, places like Donetsk and Luhansk. That’s a huge red flag for Europe because it basically says it’s okay to take land by force.
European intelligence says Russia is pushing hard. Putin wants not only those areas recognized but also for the West to pull back troops from Eastern Europe.
Europe’s scared that if they agree, it’ll weaken NATO and make Russia think it can try the same thing in other places, like the Baltic or Moldova.
The stakes here go way beyond just Ukraine. For European leaders, this war feels like a fight for the whole rules-based system that keeps countries playing fair.
Ukraine, standing its ground, is seen as standing up for democracy itself.
If any deal looks like it’s giving too much to Moscow, it could really shake up Europe’s unity, strain trust between Europe and the US, and make everyone question how serious security promises really are.
Fragile peace fears
Over the past week, top European diplomats have stepped up their talks with Washington.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has been clear: US negotiators need to push Russia toward a real compromise, not just a quick deal between big powers.
NATO officials have backed that up, saying only Ukraine should have a say in what peace looks like.
This meeting will be the first time a sitting US president has sat down with Putin since 2021, giving it a lot of weight.
Trump’s comments about wanting a “deal both sides can live with” have some people thinking he’s aiming for a practical but maybe risky deal that ends the fighting fast, even if it leaves some big questions hanging.
European leaders worry that it could just freeze the conflict in place, setting up a shaky ceasefire that Moscow might break whenever it suits them.
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