What Trump and Putin plan in Alaska has Europe on high alert

European capitals buzzed with diplomacy ahead of Friday’s historic summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, issuing statements and convening urgent meetings that exposed subtle differences in tone but shared a sense of unease: fear of being sidelined in Ukraine peace talks that could imperil the continent’s security.

All but Hungary backed a joint EU statement Tuesday welcoming Washington’s push to end the Russia-Ukraine war but insisting that any deal emerging from Alaska must safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty and Europe’s security.

In a follow-up virtual session of the Coalition of the Willing on Wednesday, co-chaired by Germany, France and the UK, leaders echoed support for US efforts while warning that “international borders must not be changed by force.” They also pledged to remain active players in shaping any peace process. From there, national leaders struck their own notes on what Alaska should and should not deliver.

Loud voices from Coalition of the Willing

Countries such as France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Poland were the first to react to the meeting as active members of the Coalition of the Willing. They each reiterated their “unwavering” support for Ukraine and its presence at the negotiation table while stressing the need to safeguard European security.

“It’s perfectly natural that the United States of America meets with Russia. It’s actually a good thing to pacify the environment. They also have many bilateral topics. But it is important that, when issues concerning Europe—our collective security—are addressed, there is coordination with us Europeans,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters following the virtual meeting.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer individually thanked Trump in a phone call “for his efforts in bringing Putin to the table in pursuit of a ceasefire to end the ongoing bloodshed” and expressed a readiness to work alongside the US for peace.

“Fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests must be safeguarded in Alaska,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, underlining that Europe wants Trump to “succeed” at Friday’s summit.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Trump-backed newly inaugurated Polish President Karol Nawrocki also participated in the virtual meeting following their joint statement last Saturday with the UK, France, Germany, Finland and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen which welcomed Trump’s efforts and called for active diplomacy.

Participating in the Coalition of the Willing meeting, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez only reiterated the need for Ukraine to be part of the decision regarding its future and voiced a firm commitment to peace and security.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wrote on the US social media company X that it would be “unlikely” to achieve a ceasefire without the US’s efforts and called Trump’s initiatives “valuable.”

“But the US has every interest in involving the EU in the discussions, to strengthen the transatlantic partnership. Clearly, no lasting peace can be achieved without Ukraine being a direct party to negotiations that concern it,” he noted, urging the US not to “blur” the roles between “aggressor” and “victim.”

The prime ministers of the Netherlands, Portugal and Luxembourg also signalled a sense of “unity” and “determination” among European and US partners following the virtual meeting.

“Unity and determination — this was the spirit of the coalition and of it with the USA in the meeting we had this afternoon. Together, we must achieve, as quickly as possible, a ceasefire and a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro wrote on X.