Ukraine’s allies coordinate ahead of Trump-Putin Alaska summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Berlin on Wednesday to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of President Donald Trump’s Friday summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Merz and Zelenskyy convened several virtual meetings with other European leaders to solidify their position before another virtual meeting with Trump.

There have been over 30 conversations and consultations with partners across the world over the last few days, Zelenskyy wrote Wednesday morning. Russia must be pressured to end the war, but history must be heeded to avoid any deception from Moscow, he added. Coordinated efforts by the United States and Europe can compel Russia to make peace, Zelenskyy said.

What has the White House said? Since Trump publicly shared his plan to meet with Putin in Alaska last week, the White House has repeatedly tempered public expectations for the outcome. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the meeting as a listening exercise for Trump during her Tuesday press briefing. The goal is for the president to walk away with a better understanding of how the war can be ended, she said. His ultimate hope is for a trilateral meeting with leaders to end the conflict, she added. Leavitt refused to speculate about the meeting and said Trump would share what he wanted with the media after the fact.

Trump said Monday he had no plan to make a deal with Putin, but planned to call Zelenskyy directly afterwards. Trump also floated the possibility of land swapping between Russia and Ukraine, since territorial claims have been a serious sticking point throughout negotiations.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more background about the Alaska summit.