Europe Urges for Increased Pressure on Moscow

SadaNews - European leaders confirmed on Sunday that "an approach combining active diplomacy, support for Ukraine, and pressure on the Russian Federation" is the only way to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.

A statement signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and other European leaders welcomed "President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russian aggression, and achieve a fair and lasting peace and security for Ukraine."

The statement, issued ahead of the summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, added, "We are ready to support this diplomatic effort, also by maintaining our substantial military and financial support for Ukraine, including through the work of the coalition of willing and upholding and enforcing restrictive measures against the Russian Federation."

The statement also mentioned that "the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be determined without it, and we are committed to the principle of not changing international borders by force."

The statement continued: "Ukraine has the freedom to choose its destiny, and serious negotiations can only take place with a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities."

President Trump stated on Friday that he will meet Putin on August 15 in Alaska.

Bloomberg reported that Washington and Moscow are seeking to reach an agreement to stop the war in Ukraine that would solidify Russia's control over the territories it has seized during its military operation.

The agency quoted informed sources saying that U.S. and Russian officials are working towards an agreement regarding those territories in preparation for a summit between Trump and Putin next week.

Trump proposed in statements to reporters at the White House on Friday an agreement that includes a land swap.

Trump stated, "There will be a land exchange to improve the situation for both sides."

Putin demands control over four Ukrainian regions: Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, in addition to the Crimean Peninsula overlooking the Black Sea, which he annexed in 2014.

Currently, Russian forces do not fully control all the lands in these four regions.

Ukraine has previously expressed its willingness to show flexibility in efforts to end a war that has devastated cities and towns and claimed the lives of large numbers of its soldiers and citizens.

However, accepting the loss of about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory would be extremely painful and a political challenge for President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government.

The proposed agreement reported by Bloomberg stipulates that Russia cease its offensive in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions along current front lines.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has been working hard to repair relations with Russia and end the war, although his public statements have varied between admiration for Putin and sharp criticism of him.

On Wednesday, the U.S. administration took a step towards sanctioning Moscow's oil sector by imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on goods from India due to its imports of Russian oil, marking the first financial penalty aimed at Russia during Trump's second term.

Steven Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, held a three-hour discussion with Putin in Moscow last Wednesday, which both sides described as constructive.