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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

EU foreign ministers to hold urgent Ukraine talks ahead of US-Russia summit

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas rings the bell at the start of the European Union Foreign Ministers council in Brussels, Belgium, on 15 July 2025. REUTERS - Yves Herman

EU leaders warn a US–Russia peace deal on Ukraine will collapse without Kyiv and Brussels involved, as an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers has been convened.

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas underlined Sunday that any deal between the United States and Russia to end the war in Ukraine must include Kyiv and the bloc, as she called for an emergency meeting of EU ministers.

"Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine's and the whole of Europe's security," Kallas said. "I will convene an extraordinary meeting of the EU foreign ministers on Monday to discuss our next steps."

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Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in the US state of Alaska on Friday to try to resolve the three-year conflict.

Europe insists Ukraine must be part of talks.

"President Trump is right that Russia has to end its war against Ukraine. The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine's and the whole of Europe's security," Kallas said in a statement.

"I will convene an extraordinary meeting of the EU foreign ministers on Monday to discuss our next steps," she said. The meeting will take place online.

Any deal 'stillborn' without Ukraine's involvement

A White House official said on Saturday that Trump was open to Zelensky attending, but that preparations currently were for a bilateral meeting with Putin.

The Kremlin leader last week ruled out meeting Zelensky, saying the conditions for such an encounter were "unfortunately still far" from being met.

Trump said a potential deal would involve "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both [sides]", a statement that compounded Ukrainian alarm that it may face pressure to surrender more land.

Zelensky says any decisions taken without Ukraine will be "stillborn" and unworkable.

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On Saturday the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said that any diplomatic solution must protect the security interests of Ukraine and Europe.

"As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," Kallas said.

She also warned any deal "must not provide a springboard for further Russian aggression against Ukraine, the transatlantic alliance and Europe".

(with newswires)

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