File Photo: Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Vladimir Putin. (Xinhua/Lehtikuva/Heikki Saukkomaa)

After the announcement of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, European leaders attempted to keep relevant on the issue. While they on Saturday welcomed Trump's plan of the meeting, they repeated "the need to keep pressure on Moscow and protect Ukrainian and European security interests," Reuters reported on Sunday.

On Friday, Trump announced on social media that he will meet Putin on August 15 in the US state of Alaska. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov later confirmed the two leader's meeting in Alaska.

On Saturday, US Vice President J.D. Vance met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and representatives of Ukraine and European allies in London, per Reuters.

On Saturday evening, Lammy posted on X that he had held a meeting with Vance, Andriy Yermak, the head of the office of the Ukrainian president, Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's defence minister, and European national security advisers, the Guardian reported. "The UK's support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace," he was quoted as saying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that the meeting of security advisers from Ukraine and its partner countries had been constructive, adding that Kiev's arguments were heard and dangers were taken into account, per the Guardian.

Zelensky said officials from Britain, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland took part in the meeting, aiming to consolidate positions to achieve a ceasefire.The path to peace for Ukraine should be determined together and only together with Ukraine, this is key principle,"he said in his evening address, the Guardian reported.

A joint statement from the French, Italian, German, Polish, British and Finnish leaders and the president of the European Commission welcomed Trump's efforts, while expressing their desire of the need to maintain support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia. "We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests," said the statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that he had spoken with Zelensky, as well as with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"We remain determined to support Ukraine, working in a spirit of unity and building on the work undertaken within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing," Macron said on X, emphasizing Ukraine's future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians and Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake.

NBC News on Sunday cited an unnamed US official and three people briefed on the internal discussions as saying that the White House was considering inviting Zelensky to join the US and Russian presidents at their Alaska meeting.

The senior US official and people briefed on the discussions said no visit has been finalized and that it's unclear if Zelensky would ultimately be in Alaska for meetings, per NBC News.

Global Times