Zelenskyy Met with European Leaders in Berlin Before Trump-Putin Talk
BERLIN, Germany – August 13, 2025:Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Berlin for some important meetings with European leaders. These meetings happened just before a planned call between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz organized this get-together to try to get everyone on the same page and show a joint position on Ukraine before Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday. The thing is, the European and Ukrainian leaders haven’t been invited to that U.S.-Russia thing, so they’re worried that any peace deal might end up hurting Ukraine.
Getting Ready in Berlin
This morning Zelenskyy and Merz had a one-on-one talk. The goal was to get Ukraine and other European countries to agree on what they want so that their needs aren’t ignored when Trump and Putin meet.
Merz has always said Ukraine needs help, so he scheduled video meetings for Wednesday to tell President Trump where the Europeans stand.
After the first meeting, Zelenskyy will be in a bigger online meeting with other European leaders. People like French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the leaders from Poland and Finland are expected to be there.
This is a big deal for Europe to act as one. They want to show they agree on things because they’re worried that any deal between the U.S. and Russia could make Europe less safe.
After that, Zelenskyy and the others will talk to Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on a video call. That’s their last chance to try and change what the U.S. is planning to do.
The Alaska Meeting: What Ukraine Won’t Accept
The U.S. says the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska on August 15 is just to get a feel for what Putin wants for peace. But the European and Ukrainian leaders are nervous about everything.
Trump has said that a peace deal might mean Ukraine and Russia trade some land. Of course, Kyiv and its European friends don’t want that.
Zelenskyy is totally against giving up any land, especially the Donbas area. He thinks Russia could use that as a launchpad to attack again. He said he’d never agree to any plan like that.
Ukraine thinks things need to stop with a ceasefire. Only then can they discuss land issues.
European leaders agree. Kaja Kallas, who heads EU foreign policy, said, “Lasting peace also means that you can’t let attackers get away with anything.” They say you can’t just change borders by force.
A Change in How Things Are Done
Ukraine is not happy that they weren’t invited to the U.S.-Russia meeting. Russia has said they don’t want to meet with Zelenskyy, and Trump hasn’t made any promises.
A Russian foreign ministry person has called the European meetings not important. That shows what Moscow thinks of these talks.
The U.S. is calling the Alaska meeting a listening session. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting is to give the president a clear idea of how we can end this war.
That approach is frustrating Ukraine and its friends. They think you can’t make a peace deal without Kyiv being there.
The U.S. decision to talk without Ukraine is very different from before when everyone said, “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” That’s made people wonder if the U.S. really cares about Ukraine being its own country and about safety in Europe.
What It All Means for the Future
What happens at the Trump-Putin meeting will really affect the war in Ukraine and how safe Europe is moving forward. The world is paying close attention.
European and Ukrainian leaders desire strong guarantees from the U.S. to make sure any peace deal lasts and Russia doesn’t attack again. They want Ukraine to be able to protect itself and join the EU.
But the Trump administration has already said Ukraine can’t join NATO anytime soon. That makes it harder to find real peace.
The war has been going on for four years now, causing a lot of damage and hurting people. A peace deal that’s not fair could just be a break before another fight.
Zelenskyy’s trip to Berlin is a last-ditch attempt to make sure Ukraine is heard. It might seem like just diplomats talking, but it really affects millions of lives. The world is waiting to see if the people in Berlin can change what happens in Alaska.
