European Union foreign ministers held an emergency video conference on Monday to discuss the upcoming meeting between the leaders of the United States and Russia in Alaska concerning a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet this Friday in Alaska, marking the first face-to-face talks between the leaders of the two countries since 2021.
However, no joint communique was issued after the video conference.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that it was crucial to convene a meeting between EU foreign ministers and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the same day, during which the Ukrainian side briefed the EU foreign ministers on the latest diplomatic efforts and the current situation on the battlefield.
Kallas emphasized that no concessions should be discussed if Russia does not agree to a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire.
The sequence of the ceasefire is extremely important, Kallas said, noting that an unconditional ceasefire must be realized first, followed by the implementation of effective monitoring mechanisms and robust security guarantees.
Kallas also revealed that EU member states have begun drafting the 19th round of sanctions against Russia.
Earlier, an European Commission spokesperson confirmed that President Ursula von der Leyen will attend Wednesday's talks hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Analysts suggest that the EU's position regarding the Trump-Putin talks centers on three aspects: first, rejecting substantive political negotiations while the conflict persists; second, sustaining pressure on Russia through advancing the 19th round of sanctions; and third, ensuring that European security issues are included in the framework of the U.S.-Russia talks to prevent unilateral decisions taken by the United States and Russia that might marginalize Europe in strategic and security matters.
Meanwhile, a German government spokesperson announced on Monday that Wednesday's talks will take place in the form of a multi-party video conference to address the Ukraine issue.
In addition to von der Leyen, Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and leaders from European countries will be invited to participate in different rounds of the video conference.
The conference aims to prepare for the Trump-Putin talks and is expected to cover topics such as peace talks with Russia, Ukrainian territorial issues, and European security.
EU's emergency video conference focuses on upcoming Trump-Putin talks in Alaska
