08/12/2025August 12, 2025
Ukraine has right to decide on peace conditions — EU leaders
Leaders from 26 of the EU’s 27 member states have issued an appeal to US President Donald Trump to allow Ukraine to have a say on any peace deal as the US leader prepares to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine.
In a statement, which Putin ally Hungarian Prime Minister declined to sign, the leaders stressed “the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny.”
“We, the Leaders of the , welcome the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and achieving a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine,” a statement said.
“A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force,” it added.
But “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine,” the leaders said.
European leaders have voiced dismay at being sidelined from Friday’s US-Russia summit, with many fearing that European security as a whole is at stake amid Moscow’s territorial aggression and growing military buildup.
It remains unclear whether or to what extent Ukraine will take part in the meeting.
Trump has said that both sides would be forced to cede land under any peace deal, raising fears that he might make territorial concessions to Putin that are unacceptable to Kyiv.
The post Ukraine updates: Ukraine must ‘choose its own destiny’ — EU appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
