The 26 EU member states have spoken out in unison: Ukraine must independently decide its future

Eu leaders issued a joint statement before the meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Putin, emphasizing that the Ukrainian people must have the freedom to determine their own future and that a diplomatic solution must safeguard the interests of Ukraine and Europe.

AFP reported that 26 European heads of state and government reached an agreement on the joint statement on Monday evening (August 11), which was released on Tuesday and endorsed by the leaders of all EU member states except Hungary.

The statement said, "EU leaders welcome President Trump's efforts to end Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and to achieve just and lasting peace and security in Ukraine."

The statement emphasized that "achieving a just and lasting peace of stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the prohibition of changing international borders by force."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders are scheduled to hold a video conference with Donald Trump on Wednesday (the 13th).

Trump and Putin will meet in Alaska, the United States on Friday (the 15th). This will be Putin's first visit to American soil in nearly a decade and also the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin since Trump returned to the White House in January this year.

Trump played down expectations of a meeting between him and Putin at the White House press conference on Monday, saying it was a "baseline meeting" and that he would consult with Ukrainian and European leaders after the meeting.

Trump said, "We need to know what he (Putin) thinks. If it's a fair agreement, I will inform the EU leaders, NATO leaders and President Zelensky."