Berlin, Aug 13 (AP) - On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and engage in virtual dialogues with European and U.S. leaders. This comes ahead of a significant summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week. Chancellor Merz has orchestrated a series of virtual meetings on Wednesday to ensure that European and Ukrainian concerns are addressed before the Alaska summit, where Trump and Putin will tackle discussions on resolving Moscow's ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Currently sidelined from the direct negotiations, Zelenskyy, along with European leaders, aims to assert their stance during Wednesday's meetings. German government spokesperson Steffen Meyer emphasized the goal of making "the position of the Europeans" clear. Zelenskyy is first scheduled to engage with European leaders, followed by a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The day will conclude with a call involving countries within the "coalition of the willing," those committed to overseeing any potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. President Zelenskyy has acknowledged over 30 prior discussions with partners leading up to the Alaska summit but remains skeptical of Putin's intentions. In a message on his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy expressed that there is "currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war." He urged U.S. and European partners to collaborate in exerting pressure on Russia to reach peace. He stressed the importance of learning from Ukraine's experiences to avoid being misled by Russia. The European Perspective Despite Trump's intentions to gauge Putin's sincerity about ending the conflict, he has stirred disappointment among European allies. Trump mentioned that Ukraine might need to relinquish certain Russian-occupied territories, a statement that worries European partners advocating for Ukraine's inclusion in any peace process. On Monday, Trump avoided committing to pushing for Zelenskyy’s participation in the talks with Putin, suggesting a potential future meeting with Zelenskyy if deemed necessary. European and Ukrainian leaders remain wary of any agreements that could be established without Kyiv's involvement, fearing that this could benefit Moscow. European nations caution against Putin potentially shifting his focus towards them if he is victorious in Ukraine. Territorial Concessions Rejected by Kyiv Zelenskyy has outright refused any proposals for Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region still under its control. He deems such concessions unconstitutional and believes they would only embolden future Russian invasions. Ukrainian expectations have been overlooked in U.S.-led talks, which have not thoroughly addressed Ukraine's security concerns or Europe's role in negotiations. After returning to office three weeks ago, Trump's administration removed the prospect of Ukraine's NATO membership. Senior EU officials speculate that Trump's primary interest lies in broader U.S. geostrategic objectives rather than securing a comprehensive peace agreement, possibly looking to boost business relations with Russia and rehabilitate Putin. Russian Advances in Donbas On the battlefield, Russian forces are striving to capture key territory around Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region, an area of strategic and industrial significance. Military analysts monitoring the situation warn that losing Pokrovsk could impair Ukrainian supply lines and bolster Russian gains, making negotiations more challenging at the upcoming summit. Ukrainian forces have launched an attack on an oil pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region. Ukrainian drones targeted the Unecha station, an essential supply line for the Russian military, resulting in significant damage and a large fire. This operation was conducted by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defence Ministry. (AP) SKS NPK NPK
Berlin, Aug 13 (AP) - On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and engage in virtual dialogues with European and U.S. leaders. This comes ahead of a significant summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week.
Chancellor Merz has orchestrated a series of virtual meetings on Wednesday to ensure that European and Ukrainian concerns are addressed before the Alaska summit, where Trump and Putin will tackle discussions on resolving Moscow's ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Currently sidelined from the direct negotiations, Zelenskyy, along with European leaders, aims to assert their stance during Wednesday's meetings. German government spokesperson Steffen Meyer emphasized the goal of making "the position of the Europeans" clear.
Zelenskyy is first scheduled to engage with European leaders, followed by a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The day will conclude with a call involving countries within the "coalition of the willing," those committed to overseeing any potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
President Zelenskyy has acknowledged over 30 prior discussions with partners leading up to the Alaska summit but remains skeptical of Putin's intentions. In a message on his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy expressed that there is "currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war." He urged U.S. and European partners to collaborate in exerting pressure on Russia to reach peace.
He stressed the importance of learning from Ukraine's experiences to avoid being misled by Russia.
The European Perspective Despite Trump's intentions to gauge Putin's sincerity about ending the conflict, he has stirred disappointment among European allies. Trump mentioned that Ukraine might need to relinquish certain Russian-occupied territories, a statement that worries European partners advocating for Ukraine's inclusion in any peace process.
On Monday, Trump avoided committing to pushing for Zelenskyy’s participation in the talks with Putin, suggesting a potential future meeting with Zelenskyy if deemed necessary. European and Ukrainian leaders remain wary of any agreements that could be established without Kyiv's involvement, fearing that this could benefit Moscow.
European nations caution against Putin potentially shifting his focus towards them if he is victorious in Ukraine.
Territorial Concessions Rejected by Kyiv Zelenskyy has outright refused any proposals for Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region still under its control. He deems such concessions unconstitutional and believes they would only embolden future Russian invasions.
Ukrainian expectations have been overlooked in U.S.-led talks, which have not thoroughly addressed Ukraine's security concerns or Europe's role in negotiations. After returning to office three weeks ago, Trump's administration removed the prospect of Ukraine's NATO membership. Senior EU officials speculate that Trump's primary interest lies in broader U.S. geostrategic objectives rather than securing a comprehensive peace agreement, possibly looking to boost business relations with Russia and rehabilitate Putin.
Russian Advances in Donbas On the battlefield, Russian forces are striving to capture key territory around Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region, an area of strategic and industrial significance. Military analysts monitoring the situation warn that losing Pokrovsk could impair Ukrainian supply lines and bolster Russian gains, making negotiations more challenging at the upcoming summit.
Ukrainian forces have launched an attack on an oil pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region. Ukrainian drones targeted the Unecha station, an essential supply line for the Russian military, resulting in significant damage and a large fire. This operation was conducted by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defence Ministry. (AP) SKS NPK NPK
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