European countries: Peace in Ukraine can only be achieved with the country's consent

(Patria) - British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Vice President JD Vance met with Ukrainian and European partners in Great Britain on Saturday to discuss efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine.

The summit was held a week before the planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, scheduled for next Friday in Alaska. The statement by the US President that the end of the war could involve "a certain exchange of territories" caused indignation in Kyiv, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupiers".

Trump agreed to meet with the Russian President even if he refused to meet with Zelensky, which raised fears that Ukraine could be marginalized in the negotiations. Later on Saturday, a White House official announced that Trump was open to a trilateral summit in Alaska with Putin and Zelensky, but that a bilateral meeting with Putin was currently planned at Moscow's request.

"Any decisions without Ukraine are also decisions against peace... These are dead decisions. They will never work," Zelensky wrote on Telegram, emphasizing that Ukraine must be represented in all negotiations.

The meeting between Lammy and Vance took place in Chevening, Kent, at the request of the United States. Lammy stated on X that British support for Ukraine is "unwavering" and that London continues to work towards a "just and lasting peace".

Zelensky said that the meeting of security advisors from Ukraine and partner countries was constructive, and that "Kyiv's arguments were heard and the dangers were acknowledged". Representatives from Great Britain, the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and Poland participated in the talks, with the aim of coordinating positions to achieve a ceasefire.

"The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together and only together with Ukraine, that is the key principle," Zelensky stated in his evening address.

In a joint statement, the leaders of Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Finland, as well as the President of the European Commission, emphasized that peace cannot be decided without Ukraine. They welcomed Trump's efforts to "stop the killing in Ukraine" and stressed that only a combination of active diplomacy, support for Ukraine, and pressure on Russia can bring success.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Zelensky spoke by phone on Saturday, agreeing on the need to maintain pressure on Putin. Starmer confirmed his "unwavering support for Ukraine and its people".

If the meeting between Trump and Putin takes place, it will be the first meeting of a US President with the Russian leader since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022, according to The Guardian.