Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap!
US president Donald Trump said Russia would face “very severe consequences” if it didn’t make a genuine move towards peace at his talks with Vladimir Putin on Friday (18:24), as he briefed the media on “a very good” call with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders (18:19).
Trump also floated the idea of a second summit, involving Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, that could follow the his meeting with Putin on Friday if the parties can make good progress towards the end of the war (18:19).
US and European officials are reportedly already looking into potential locations for the meeting, with cities in Europe and the Middle East understood to be under consideration (17:37, 18:41).
But in a revealing passage, Trump also acknowledged that he could not guarantee convincing Putin to stop targeting civilians in Ukraine (18:30) and conceded that a second follow-up meeting was not guaranteed.
Earlier, European leaders from Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK, the EU and Nato lined up to praise the call and the coordination between Europe and the US, with German chancellor Friedrich Merz saying Trump “largely shares” the European position on the talks (16:26) and the need to get Ukraine involve in any decisions on its future (16:17, 16:29).
Finnish president Alexander Stubb, known to be closely involved in talks with Trump, said “the next few days and weeks can be decisive” when it comes to Ukraine’s future (17:27).
But Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged partners to put even more pressure on Russia, as he argued that Putin was “bluffing” by claiming that sanctions were not affecting the Russian economy (16:29).
He said that the leaders shared “a common understanding – as long as Russia takes no steps toward peace, we must continue to exert pressure on it and strengthen support for Ukraine,” as he thanked Germany in particular for hosting the talks and signing off on a new $500m package of aid for Ukraine (18:51).
Read our full report on today’s events here:
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
If Russia doesn't move, we need to increase pressure and support Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just offered his take on today’s talks, saying in a social media update that the leaders “share a common understanding – as long as Russia takes no steps toward peace, we must continue to exert pressure on it and strengthen support for Ukraine.”
He also pointedly thanked the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for hosting him in Berlin and convening the leaders’s calls today, as well as the new $500m package for Ukraine (18:27).
The leaders of US, Ukraine and European countries discussed some potential locations for a follow-up three-way meeting with Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy already during today’s call, Reuters says, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Some options under consideration include cities in Europe and the Middle East, it said.
Trump says he can't convince Putin to stop targeting civilians in Ukraine
Continuing his Q&A, Trump gets asked if he is confident he could get Putin to stop targeting civilians in Ukraine.
He says:
“Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ve had that conversation with him. I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him. Then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home, or a rocket hit an apartment building and people are laying dead in the street.
So I guess the answer to that is no, because I’ve had this conversation.”
That’s where he ends his briefing.
Updated
Germany pledges to spend $500m on major Nato-backed package for Ukraine
Meanwhile, back in Berlin, Germany has just announced it would finance a third major package of military equipment and munitions for Ukraine under a new Nato scheme.
The Netherlands and a group of Nordic countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden – have already pledged to fund the first two packages, each also worth around $500m.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte welcomed the move, saying in a statement:
“I commend Germany for stepping up once again. This delivery will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.
Germany is the largest European contributor of military aid to Ukraine, and today’s announcement further underlines its commitment to help the Ukrainian people defend their freedom and sovereignty.”
'There will be severe consequences' if Russia doesn't agree to end war, Trump warns
Asked if Russia would face consequences for not moving towards a peace agreement on Ukraine, Trump says: “Yes, they will.”
Asked what exactly would the retaliation entail, he says: “There will be, I don’t have to say, there will be very severe consequences.”
'Very good call' on Ukraine, Trump says as he floats idea of second meeting with Putin, Zelenskyy to finalise peace deal
US president Donald Trump is speaking right now at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
He says:
We had a very good call. He was on the call. President Zelensky was on the call. I would rate it at 10, you know, very, very friendly.
I know the leaders, because I was at Nato, as you know, I took it from 2% to 5%, 2% that wasn’t paid, 5% that is paid, which is trillions of dollars in defence capability.
It was always going to be I was going to meet with President Putin, and then after that, I’m going to call the leaders and President Zelenskyy – I’m going to call President Zelensky and then I’ll call, probably, in that order, the leaders.
There’s a very good chance that we’re going to have a second meeting which will be more productive than the first, because the first is I’m going to find out where we are and what we’re doing. …
He then says:
“The second meeting, if the first one goes okay, we’ll have a quick second one.
I would like to do it almost immediately, And we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they’d like to have me there, and that would be a meeting where maybe it could be absolutely work [it out] but … certain great things can be gained in the first [meeting], it’s going to be a very important meeting, but it’s setting the table for the second meeting. …
There may be no second meeting, because if I feel that it’s not appropriate to have it, because I didn’t get the answers that we have to have, then we’re not going to have a second meeting.”
Poland's Tusk says Russia must not be allowed to set neighbours' borders, calls for Ukraine's involvement in decision-making
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk is now briefing the media after attending the earlier calls with European leaders, but not the main call with Trump.
He says the European priority is to “not even think” of allowing Russia to set the borders of its neighbours, and he insists that Ukraine must be always represented when any final decisions are made.
He pointedly warns that “I know, this is not a speculation, that the Russian side would very much like to include the topic of security [in the talks] … not only of Ukraine, but also of countries like Poland,” for example by calling for a reduction of US or Nato troops in Poland.
But he generally strikes an upbeat tone, saying that even if the talks on Friday don’t lead to a breakthrough, they could help with making progress and paving the way for further progress towards a ceasefire and a further peace settlement.
Interestingly, he tones down the controversy on who represented Poland at the three calls, claiming that the government briefed the president’s office on its position, helping coordinate his and president Nawrocki’s approaches to today’s talks.
But in a hint of irritation, he says that he will want to speak with Nawrocki to make sure that Poland doesn’t get played by “either enemies or allies” and always represents a united front, despite political differences between the government and the president.
Allies show 'unity of purpose' ahead of Trump-Putin meeting, Italy's Meloni says
The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has been “deeply satisfied” with “the unity of purpose” showed by partners taking part in today’s calls, her office said in a readout from the meetings with other European partners and Trump.
The statement stressed that Meloni “expressed appreciation for president Trump’s efforts” and stressed the importance of working together with the US to end the war.
It added that “the discussion revealed a strong consensus” on the need of a ceasefire and on the determination to offer further support for Ukraine.
“Now is the time to see what Russia’s attitude will be in Alaska, as it has so far failed to take any significant steps forward,” it ended.
'Reassuring' meeting but questions remain ahead of Trump-Putin talks – snap analysis
The Europeans’ main objective had been to seek reassurances from the notoriously fickle Trump that he would not be lured into making irretrievable pledges requiring Ukraine to make concessions of land as the price for securing Putin’s agreement to a ceasefire.
One European diplomat said: “Overall the meeting was reassuring in that our points came across, but the question remains whether Trump will stick to the agreed script when he gets into the room with Putin.”
They also tried to extract bankable guarantees that Trump was still prepared to deploy as yet unused economic levers that could damage Russian revenues and play into Putin’s assessment of his bargaining strength.
European leaders have been careful in public to welcome Trump’s summit but in private fear Trump is bent on improving US-Russia relations and sees a loss of Ukrainian sovereignty as a necessary and unavoidable price to secure that objective.
Updated
US looking for site for Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit 'as soon as end of next week' - reports
For what it’s worth, CBS News is reporting – quoting two sources familiar with the talks – that the US is working on a site for three-way Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit “as soon as the end of next week.”
Trump's mission is to 'bring peace to Europe once again,' JD Vance says
Speaking to US soldiers at a military base in England, US vice-president JD Vance said he spoke briefly with Trump after their earlier calls with European leaders and heard that “we are going to make it our mission as an administration to bring peace to Europe once again.”
“But as you all know it is impossible to bring peace anywhere unless the bad guys are also worried that we’ve got a hell of a fine air force, and a hell of a fine military to back up the peace to begin with,” he told soldiers, thanking them for their service.
Updated
Next days, weeks can be decisive for Ukraine, Finnish president Stubb says after 'excellent' meeting with leaders
The Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, also praised the “excellent” meeting with Trump and other European leaders.
But in stark comments, he said “the next few days and weeks can be decisive” for Ukraine.
“Aligned views and unity. We are working together for a ceasefire and a sustainable peace. We are there for Ukraine every step of the way,” he stressed in a social media post.
Answering a question in English, Przydacz says Nawrocki presented the Polish position that “we cannot [allow] Russia to continue its aggressive policy” and urged partners to put more pressure on Russia, including through sanctions and military support for Ukraine.
“The only language understood by president Putin is the language of strength, and that’s what we, president Nawrocki and other European allies, encouraged president Trump to do,” he says.
Nawrocki's participation in call agreed with US, Polish presidential aide says
Przydacz also offers a bit more colour on Nawrocki’s somewhat unexpected participation in the call (15:42), saying it was “clear” after talks with the US on Tuesday that the president, not prime minister Tusk, would take part and represent Poland.
“We have very good relations with the US, with Trump’s administration, so we understand each other in obvious ways,” he says in (one of many) political swipes at Tusk and his advisers.
He says Nawrocki was invited to take part by Washington, and insists there was no indication that Tusk was meant to take part in the call.
(Expect all of this to be heavily challenged by Tusk at his press conference later.)
Przydacz also says that the fact that Trump wanted to speak with European partners shows he takes their views into consideration ahead of the summit, but notes that any final decisions lie with the US president.
Updated
Only tough action can stop Russia, Poland says, calling for Ukraine to be involved before final decisions are made
We are now getting a reaction from Poland, too.
Marcin Przydacz, the foreign policy adviser to the country’s new president Karol Nawrocki, is now debriefing the media after the call.
Drawing on Poland’s complex history with Russia, he says that Poland’s view is that only tough action can stop Moscow and it must not be allowed to dictate the borders of other European countries.
He adds that “any final resolution must come with the involvement of Ukraine and its representatives.”
Future Trump-Zelenskyy-Putin summit could be held in Europe, Macron suggests
Speaking about a potential future summit bringing together Trump, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and Russia’s Trump, Macron said he hoped such a meeting could be held in Europe “in a neutral country that is acceptable to all parties,” AFP noted.
The French president also made it clear that “territorial questions concerning Ukraine can be, and will be, negotiated only by the Ukrainian president.”
'Unwavering' support for Ukraine, UK says, ruling out changing borders by force
The UK readout from the call issued by Keir Starmer’s spokesperson stressed the “unwavering” support for Ukraine as the leaders “agreed this week marks an important moment for the future of Ukraine,” and thanked Trump “for his efforts in bringing Putin to the table in pursuit of a ceasefire to end to the ongoing bloodshed.”
The statement added:
“The prime minister was clear that our support for Ukraine is unwavering – international borders must not be changed by force and Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity as part of any deal.
“Europe stands ready to support this and will continue to work alongside President Trump and President Zelenskyy for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine …”
It noted that the leaders would speak again after Friday.
It’s often said that one picture can tell a thousand words, and this photo from Berlin certainly tells a story about the burden on Zelenskyy’s shoulders as he walked into today’s meetings with other European leaders and Trump.
Europeans praise talks with Trump before his meeting with Putin - what we know
European leaders welcomed their call with US president Donald Trump ahead of this summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying they “largely share” the aims of the meeting on Friday (16:26), starting with a ceasefire in Ukraine (16:10).
Both German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron have relayed the common European position that no decisions can be made about Ukraine without Ukraine, as they pushed for it to be involved in any final decisions (16:17) potentially through a future three-way summit bringing Zelenskyy together with Trump and Putin (16:29).
Merz signalled that “there is hope that something is moving,” with growing hopes of a peace settlement.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged partners to put even more pressure on Russia, as he argued that Putin was “bluffing” by claiming that sanctions were not affecting the Russian economy.
EU and Nato leaders both issued supportive statements, claiming “the ball is now in Putin’s court” (16:32) and that Ukraine comes out strenghtened from these consultations with the US (16:37).
Updated
Europe, US, Nato 'strenghtened common ground for Ukraine,' EU's von der Leyen says
The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also struck a very positive tone in her reaction to the call, saying it was a “very good” conversation.
“Today Europe, the US and Nato have strengthened the common ground for Ukraine. We will remain in close coordination. Nobody wants peace more than us, a just and lasting peace,” she said.
'Very positive' mood in talks as we speak 'in one voice,' Zelenskyy says
On expectations ahead of the meeting on Friday, Zelenskyy says:
“It seems to me that the success of any talks depends first of all on the results.
Our mood now is that we are united, and it was very positive [as] all the partners spoke in one voice, one desire, the same principles and the same vision and this is an important step forward.”
Back to Berlin, Zelenskyy gets asked about whether his position on territorial concessions has changed, but responds by saying it hasn’t and couldn’t as the Ukrainian constitution remains the same.
“Any questions concerning our country’s territorial integrity cannot be discussed without regard for our people, for the will of our people and the Ukrainian constitution,” he says.
'Ball now in Putin's court,' Nato's secretary general says after Trump call
Separately, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte just posted a social media update, saying it was a “great call” and stressing the Nato unity “in pushing to end this terrible war against Ukraine and achieve just and lasting peace.”
“Appreciate @realDonaldTrump leadership & close coordination with Allies. The ball is now in Putin’s court,” he added.
Zelenskyy also says that Trump assured him he would contact him straight after the meeting with Putin to talk it through and that if the aims discussed today are not achieved, they would discuss what to do next.
'What concerns Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine,' Zelenskyy says
In his opening comments, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy stresses the European unity and “very intensive” coordination with European leaders.
He also says that “what concerns Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine,” as he backs the idea of a follow-up three-way summit with Trump and Putin.
He also repeats that there should be more pressure on Russia, as he says that Putin is “bluffing” when he says he doesn’t care about sanctions.
'There's hope something is moving,' Merz says after call with Trump
Merz says the ceasefire needs to be the first step towards a lasting peace arrangement.
He insists on the European principle that “borders must not be changed through violence” as he says that any territorial discussions need to be related to the contact line. He makes it clear that “legal recognition of Russian occupation is not up for debate.”
He also says the European partners want to push for “robust safety assurances for Ukraine.”
He adds:
“The strategy is based on supporting Ukraine and putting pressure on Russia. So if in Alaska there’s no movement on the Russian side, then the US and the Europeans need to increase the pressure.”
Merz says that Trump “largely shares” the European position, and says it was a “very good, constructive talk.”
He ends on an optimistic note:
There is hope that something is moving. There’s hope that there could be peace in Ukraine.
Updated
European leaders determined to make Trump-Putin summit a success, Merz says
Opening his statement, German chancellor Merz says the European leaders are determined to help the Friday’s summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska to be a success.
“Us Europeans therefore do what we can to set the course for this meeting in the right way,” he says.
He adds that Zelenskyy has been involved in the preparations throughout.
Merz, Zelenskyy briefing media after call with Trump
Their press briefing in Berlin starts now.
You can watch the live streaming below, but I will bring you all the key lines here.
Briefing the media after the call, Macron told journalists that the leaders also backed the calls for more exchanges of prisoners or war and the release of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia during the war.
He also said that Trump reassured the European leaders that any territorial issues relating to Ukraine cannot be negotiated without Ukraine, adding “and that is the position that we support.”
Macron also said that the leaders were clear that there must be a clear link between any potential territorial concessions and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Trump wants ceasefire in Ukraine during Putin meeting, Macron says
We are just getting a news line coming in on Reuters quoting the French president, Emmanuel Macron, as saying that US president Donald Trump told European leaders that he “wanted to obtain a ceasefire in Ukraine during meeting with Putin.”
We will bring you more when we have it.
Either way, we should hear from German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefing the media after the call with Trump at some point in the next, say, half hour.
We will bring you their briefing live here.
Updated
For what it’s worth, Rafał Leśkiewicz, the spokesperson for the Polish president Karol Nawrocki, has just confirmed that only Nawrocki is on the call with Trump.
The implications here is that Tusk – despite being involved in the earlier consultation call with European leaders – is not taking part in the big call.
Definitely one to watch.
Poland's new president says represents Poland at Trump call
Oh, that’s unusual: the office of the new Polish president, Karol Nawrocki, has just said that he is representing Poland at the call with Trump and other European leaders.
Until know, it was always Tusk who was involved in talks with the US and other European partners on Ukraine.
In fact, Tusk’s office earlier posted a picture of him joining the European pre-call with Zelenskyy, too.
Could it be that they divided up their participation in different calls? Or both dialled into the call with Trump?
To understand what might be going on here, you need a bit of domestic context on Polish politics, but in short: Nawrocki’s inauguration speech last week signalled a more assertive position of the new head of state in terms of shaping Poland’s foreign and defence policy.
But this is still unusual.
On the other side, a deputy defence minister in Tusk’s government appeared to directly half-mock half-challenge Nawrocki this morning, saying that he should leverage his good relationship with Trump (he received his backing during the electoral campaign) and help Ukraine.
The new president’s allies would probably say that he’s doing just that?
However, even if it turned out that both leaders joined the call, it wouldn’t be the first in Polish history: in Tusk’s first term as the prime minister, he clashed with the then-president Lech Kaczyński over who should take part in the EU leaders’ meetings, leading to the infamous “war for chairs” and both of them attending an EU summit in 2008.
One to watch as we get more clarity on what’s going on there.
But that Tusk press conference announced for later today could be politically explosive (14:24) – particualrly as the Polish president’s office has just called a rival press conference at 5pm…
Updated
'No decisions about future of Ukraine without Ukraine,' Starmer agrees with Dutch PM Schoof
In the last few minutes, Downing Street confirmed that the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, spoke with Dutch prime minister, Dick Schoof, earlier today.
The pair discussed “their sustained support for Ukraine,” and “agreed that there should be no decisions about the future of Ukraine without Ukraine.”
“The prime minister spoke to the prime minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof earlier today.
They discussed their sustained support for Ukraine and the ongoing work to end Russia’s barbaric war. They agreed that there should be no decisions about the future of Ukraine without Ukraine.
They looked forward to discussing further in this afternoon’s meetings alongside President Trump and President Zelenskyy.”
As for Trump – and his call with the group of European leaders should be starting now – we will probably hear from him a few times today, as my colleagues over on the US politics blog noted.
He is expected at a public event at 11am ET, in just under two hours from now, and obviously can always post something on his social media channels before.
I will keep an eye out for any updates.
Updated
The first of the three calls should be now well under way.
We are likely to hear from multiple leaders taking part in the consultations at some point later today.
The spokesperson for the Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has just called a press conference for 6pm Warsaw time (5pm BST).
Updated
Trump criticises media for 'very unfair' coverage of his meeting with Putin
As he is trying to kill some time before the call later today, Trump took to social media again, criticising the media for “unfair” coverage of his upcoming meeting with Russia’s Putin.
Here it is in full:
Very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin. Constantly quoting fired losers and really dumb people like John Bolton, who just said that, even though the meeting is on American soil, “Putin has already won.”
What’s that all about? We are winning on EVERYTHING. The Fake News is working overtime (No tax on overtime!).
If I got Moscow and Leningrad free, as part of the deal with Russia, the Fake News would say that I made a bad deal!
But now they’ve been caught. Look at all of the real news that’s coming out about their CORRUPTION. They are sick and dishonest people, who probably hate our Country. But it doesn’t matter because we are winning on everything!!! MAGA
Updated
Russia insists its 'maximalist' conditions for ending war remain unchanged
Meanwhile, Russia said its stance on ending the war has not changed since Putin outlined his conditions last year, as he demanded the full withdrawal of Kyiv’s forces from key Ukrainian regions and the abandonment of its Nato ambitions, Reuters noted.
“Russia’s position remains unchanged, and it was voiced in this very hall just over a year ago, on 14 June 2024,” the Russian foreign ministry’s deputy spokesperson, Alexei Fadeev said, referring to a speech Putin delivered then at the foreign ministry.
The demands at the time were described as “maximalist” and widely seen as a non-starter with international partners – and repeatedly rejected by Ukraine.
'They are great people who want to see deal done,' Trump says before talking to European leaders
US president Donald Trump appears to be ready for his big call with European partners.
In the last few minutes, he posted on Truth Social:
Will be speaking to European Leaders in a short while. They are great people who want to see a deal done.
Merz welcomes Zelenskyy in Berlin
… and here they are, as Merz welcomes Zelenskyy in Berlin.
Updated
Germany's Merz hosts Zelenskyy as weakened leader 100 days into his term — analysis
in Berlin
Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, hosts Zelenskyy as a weakened leader 100 days into his term.
A new poll shows the far-right Alternative für Deutschland overtaking Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc by two points, making it the strongest party with 26% support in a fractured electoral landscape. The CDU/CSU, which won February’s general election with nearly 29% of the vote, now claims only 24% of voter intentions.
The last time the AfD came out on top in the Forsa poll was in April, in a period of political limbo between election and Merz’s new government taking office in May.
The junior coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), have just 13% support, down three points from February, meaning that if the election were this weekend, the current governing alliance, which is already showing significant cracks, would fail to win a majority.
Merz, for decades a divisive figure in German politics, has struggled to reverse a deep pessimistic streak that has taken hold in Europe’s top economy.
GDP growth has failed to show a significant turnaround and is expected to flatline this year, while Merz’s campaign pledges for economic relief have not materialised.
A decision by the government in June not to deliver a reduction in electricity tax for households and small businesses angered many voters, while a divisive debate about the pension age has also taken a political toll.
More recently, an unusually bitter row over the planned appointment of a federal judge who fell victim to a right-wing-led media campaign against her liberal abortion stance caught Merz by surprise and eroded trust within the coalition.
On migration, which Merz has attempted to wrest as an issue from the AfD, his government has shown mixed results with a series of court setbacks and a simmering border dispute with Poland complicating his efforts to show decisive action.
Even before taking office, Merz spearheaded a major “bazooka” spending package for domestic defence, infrastructure and aid to Ukraine. But fiscal hawks within his own camp, who looked to Merz to safeguard German fiscal rectitude, were appalled by the measure they saw as a violation of his previous campaign promises.
Merz, who had no experience in government before becoming chancellor, has cut a more sure-footed figure on the world stage and won praise from many western allies for rallying European support for Ukraine as US president Donald Trump’s backing has wavered.
However the formulation of his stance on the war in Gaza has proved to be a high-wire act, alienating many of his closest allies and the Israeli government even while drawing praise from the SPD.
After weeks of ratcheting up his rhetoric criticising Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in the Strip as the civilian toll rose, Merz last week made the shock announcement that Germany would no longer approve shipments of weapons that could be used in Gaza “until further notice”.
Prominent members of the CDU/CSU bloc accused Merz of failing to inform them in advance of a decision they said betrayed Germany’s responsibility for Israel’s security since the Holocaust. Voters meanwhile welcomed the move, with large majorities criticising Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Der Spiegel columnist Nikolaus Blome pointed out the irony in attacks on Merz’s go-it-alone approach, noting that many in the CDU/CSU had sought a firmer line after Angela Merkel’s 16 years of centrist politics and Olaf Scholz’s perceived waffling.
After just 100 days of this government’s terms you have to say: either Friedrich Merz will have to learn another style of leadership or his critics in the Bundestag will have to learn discipline. That was always a conservative value and still is, right?
Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin
We are now getting reports via agencies that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has now arrived in Berlin ahead of the series of calls later today.
Estonia moves to expel Russian diplomat over 'direct, active' acts 'undermining constitutional order' and sanctions
Separately, Estonia has moved to expel a Russian diplomat over alleged “direct and active” involvement in “undermining the constitutional order and legal system of Estonia.”
The ministry said the diplomat also “contributed to the crimes against the state, including several offences related to sanctions violation.”
“The Russian embassy’s ongoing interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Estonia must end and by expelling the diplomat, we are demonstrating that Estonia will not allow any actions orchestrated and organised by a foreign state on its territory,” foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Alexei Fadeev said the expulsion was a hostile act and that Moscow would respond, Reuters noted.
Putin to discuss 'all accumulated issues' with Trump, Moscow says, dismissing consultations with Europe as 'insignificant'
Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Alexei Fadeev said, in comments relayed by Reuters, that Trump and Putin would discuss “all the accumulated issues” in the US-Russia bilateral relations during their meeting on Friday, dismissing the consultations with European countries as “insignificant.”
Hungarian foreign minister criticises Zelenskyy
But while today’s calls will be all about projecting Europe’s unity behind Ukraine, Hungary is very clearly not keen on that at all.
After yesterday’s criticism from the country’s prime minister Viktor Orbán, who refused to sign the EU27’s statement backing Ukraine, his foreign minister Péter Szijjártó is the one taking aim at Zelenskyy today.
In a post on social media quoting Zelenskyy’s calls for ceasefire and peace talks, he said:
“Hungary has been advocating a ceasefire and peace talks for 3.5 years. Ukraine would have been better off if @ZelenskyyUa had done the same. Hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved and millions spared from fleeing their homes.”
It’s not entirely surprising to see Szijjártó criticise Ukraine, though: he has long been an advocate for closer talks with Russia, having been awarded the Russian Order of Friendship in December 2021 and being a regular visitor to Moscow in the last few years.
In March, Bloomberg reported that Szijjártó visited the Russian capital at least 13 times since the beginning of the full-scale aggression on Ukraine in early 2022, raising some concerns among EU allies.
Ukraine confirms €500m loan to help with emergency gas purchases, energy resilience
Just hours before the calls, Ukraine has announced a €500m financing deal to help with the country’s energy security, signed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and guaranteed by the EU.
The deal gives the state-owned oil and gas company Naftogaz a financing line, the EBRD’s largest single loan facility in Ukraine, to cover emergency gas purchases.
Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that “for the first time, such a loan is provided under EU guarantee, without a Ukrainian state guarantee.”
“This will allow Ukraine to better prepare for the heating season and provide Ukrainian homes with heat and light even on the most difficult days of winter,” she said.
The EBRD’s press statement said:
The latest EBRD finance to Naftogaz follows major Russian attacks on the company’s upstream gas production and processing facilities in the first half of 2025.
These have resulted in significant production losses for the year, as the company rebuilds its damaged operations, and created the need for more gas imports.
Trump alone in a room with Putin is a recipe for disaster – just look to their last meeting – analysis
in Washington
The lessons of Helsinki are clear: putting Donald Trump alone in a room with Vladimir Putin is an unpredictable – and often dangerous – affair.
It was 2018 when the two leaders met at the invitation of Sauli Niinistö, the Finnish president, to discuss a collapse in US-Russia relations, accusations of elections interference, and the grinding war in east Ukraine, among other topics.
By the time he came out of the room, Trump looked dazzled by the Kremlin leader. Asked at a press conference about the conclusions of the US intelligence community that Russia had interfered in the elections, Trump said: “President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
Somehow, the stakes are even higher as Trump and Putin plan to meet on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, where Trump has said the two will discuss “land swapping” in Putin’s first meeting with a G7 leader since his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
European leaders are fearful that Trump could once again emerge from a closed-door meeting preaching the Kremlin gospel.
The White House has been lowering expectations for the summit – a sign that no concrete deal is on the table. “This is really a feel-out meeting, a little bit,” Trump said during a news conference on Monday.
But Putin will still try his luck to shape Trump’s image of what a peace deal could entail in a way that will bring maximum benefit to the Kremlin.
Putin “wants a deal with Trump that will be presented to Kyiv and other European capitals as a fait accompli,” wrote John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and a former ambassador to Ukraine.
The lack of invites for European leaders “has the smell of the Yalta Conference in 1945 … where the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom decided the fate of half of Europe over the heads of those nations”.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Tuesday that the meeting between Trump and Putin would be one-on-one, and a “listening exercise” for Trump during which he could suss out the Russian point of view.
“That’s the way Trump does it. He just wings it,” said Fiona Hill, the former presidential aide.
“And Putin likes sparring … he prides himself on being able to be light on his feet in these kinds of settings,” she said.
The lack of advisers in the room has raised a key question: will any agreements made in a private setting, even if interpreters or other notetakers are present, lead to lasting outcomes?
Stick together and work against Russian 'deception,' Zelenskyy says before call with Trump
In his latest update before travelling to Berlin, Zelenskyy repeated his key lines about “putting pressure on Russia” to achieve a peace settlement.
But in what feels like a pointed warning about Putin, he added:
We must learn from the experience of Ukraine, our partners, to prevent deception by Russia. There is no sign now that the Russians are preparing to end the war.
He said that “our coordinated efforts and joint steps … can definitely force Russia to make peace.”
Timings for the day
As part of what promises to be a very busy day for diplomacy, we are also expecting to get press statements from Merz and Zelenskyy around 3pm BST (4pm CEST), after their call with Trump.
So to help you plan your day, the rough timings appear to be:
1pm BST, 2pm CEST – Internal Europe call with Zelenskyy
2pm BST, 3pm CEST – Call with Trump and JD Vance
3pm BST, 4pm CEST – Press statements by Merz and Zelenskyy, call with “the coalition of the willing”
Updated
Zelenskyy expected in Berlin to join Merz in person for Trump call, bilateral talks
The German government’s spokesperson has confirmed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be “working in Berlin” today, joining Merz in person for the call with Trump and Vance.
The pair is also expected to meet for a separate bilateral meeting, expected to be a further show of support from the German chancellor.
Morning opening: Hello Donald, this is Europe speaking
European leaders will speak with the US president, Donald Trump, and his vice-president, JD Vance, today, consulting ahead of this Friday’s summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Representing Team Europe are the host, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, the Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, and the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer.
They will be joined by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council president, António Costa, and that famous Trump-whisperer, the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte.
They will be also joined by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who in a further show of unity with his partners will not only be on the call, but will be joining the host in person in Berlin.
The series of calls will begin with internal consultations between European leaders and Zelenskyy around 2pm local time, followed by a call with Trump an hour later and a debrief of “the coalition of the willing” later.
The call with Trump will be the European leaders’ last chance to substantially shape Trump’s thoughts going into the meeting in Alaska on Friday, and repeat some of the red lines put forward by Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has previously said Ukraine could not agree to a Russian proposal to give up more of his country’s territory in exchange for a ceasefire because Moscow would use what it gained as a springboard to start a future war.
Last week Russia indicated it was prepared to consider a ceasefire in the Ukraine war for the first time, in exchange for Ukraine withdrawing from the parts of Donbas it still controlled. Though Trump then suggested that Russia and Ukraine could engage in some “swapping of territories”, Zelenskyy said he understood that Russia was “simply offering not to advance further, not to withdraw from anywhere” and that swaps were not on the table.
With growing uncertainty about which Trump will show up to talks with Putin in Alaska on Friday – the one who repeatedly said was “disappointed” with Putin, or the one who wants to reset relations with Moscow – this could be one of the most consequential phone calls in years for Europe and Ukraine’s future.
I will bring you all the key updates here.
It’s Wednesday, 13 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
