Zelensky May Join Trump-Putin Talks as Europe Left Excluded

Every European leader wants to attend this bilateral conference.

And for a good cause. Donald Trump will meet with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss the end of the Ukrainian war.

Territorial concessions are likely to be negotiated, and Europe

(particularly Ukraine) does not want its boundaries altered by force.

However, as things stand, neither the invaded country nor the continent in which it is located has received any invitations.

"Brace ourselves for some pretty outrageous Russian demands," warns Lord Simon McDonald, a former UK Foreign Office chief.

"It will be theatrical," he continues. "Putin is going to ask for things that nobody else would concede-with the possible exception of Donald Trump."

Trump plans to negotiate with Putin to reclaim Ukrainian territory. However, President Zelensky refuses to give up any land or even halt the combat along the current front lines.

His point is that it will not slow down a Russian war machine that has been at war for over three and a half years. He claims such concessions would simply speed things up.

"It's clear Putin wants a photo with the most powerful person on the planet, President Trump, and he wants sanctions postponed, which he'll almost certainly get," the EU's foreign policy leader, Kaja Kallas, tells me.

"The question is, what is success for the US in the meeting?" she poses. "If President Zelensky is there, it would be a clear success."

But if Ukraine's leader is not present at the Alaskan table, how can the Kremlin's proposals be challenged?

"He could go," stated the US president on the possibilities. However, Kyiv and Europe want it to go from a "maybe" to a "yes".

The one-on-one approach, which was a Kremlin proposal approved by the White House, adds to their uneasiness.

A European scramble.

The European Quarter in Brussels is not usually a hub of political activity in August, but the US-Russia discussions have changed that.

On Monday, Kallas chaired a virtual conference of foreign ministers, who demanded an absolute cease-fire before any agreement could be reached. In addition, new sanctions on Moscow were announced.

I asked Kallas what she felt Donald Trump meant when he suggested that some land be swapped.

"We have to ask President Trump," she states. "However, it is obvious that an aggressor cannot be rewarded for aggressiveness. Otherwise, we will see greater hostility throughout the world because it pays off."

Europe is attempting to do two things: rally around Ukraine and impose its will on the American-led peace talks.

Whether or not Zelensky makes the trip, the door to Europe has been firmly sealed since Trump retook office at the beginning of the year.

Keith Kellogg, his diplomat to Ukraine, stated at the time that the bloc would not take part in any peace talks. International relations have failed to change Europe's viewpoint.

Their relationship with the United States has continued to improve, not least due to substantial growth in defense investment. Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, believes they should play a more significant role.

"This is a matter of critical European security interest," he elaborates.

"We appreciate Trump's efforts, but we'll make our own decision in Europe.

"A simple ceasefire would not resolve the problem."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arranged for a remote meeting between European leaders, as well as Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, on Wednesday.

They hope to be consulted on America's strategy to end Russia's incursion, but ex-UK Foreign Office chief Lord McDonald would be astonished to see a last-minute European invitation for Friday.

"The end will be as protracted as the war has been long," predicted the commander.

"The meeting is a milestone, but it doesn't mean it will lead anywhere."