European leaders have called on US President Donald Trump to hold talks with Russia "only under a ceasefire" and to "protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe", according to a joint declaration by the President of the European Commission and the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Finland, and non-EU member United Kingdom. The title of the document specifies that it was adopted ahead of the planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests. We agree that these vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said, adding, "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine." The leaders said "they remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force," and added, "The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations."

The Europeans expressed the view that the current line of contact in Ukraine should serve as the starting point for negotiations on territories. They once again welcomed Trump’s diplomatic initiatives but expressed the view that efforts to end the conflict should combine active diplomacy, support for Ukraine, and pressure on Russia. They pledged to support the work to end the conflict "diplomatically", as well as by "maintaining significant military and financial support for Ukraine, including within the framework of the ‘Coalition of the Willing,’" and by maintaining and introducing restrictive measures against Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump will meet in Alaska on August 15, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.

"The US side has just announced that an agreement has been reached to organize a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on August 15, Friday, in Alaska. Russia and the US are close neighbors, bordering each other. It seems quite logical that our delegation should simply fly across the Bering Strait, and that such an important and long-awaited summit between the leaders of the two countries should be held there," the Kremlin aide said.

These statements about the upcoming meeting came after US special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow on August 6 and met with Putin. The conversation lasted about three hours.

***