Trump to join European leaders on emergency call before Putin talks

Politico EU ^ | 8/11/2025 | Hans von der Burchard

[marcusmaximus]

U.S. President Donald Trump is joining European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an emergency virtual summit on Wednesday organized by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

-snip-

The virtual summit will focus on pressure options against Russia, questions about Ukrainian territories seized by Russia, security guarantees for Kyiv and the sequencing of potential peace talks, a German government spokesperson told POLITICO.

Merz and other European leaders demand that Putin first agrees to a ceasefire before any peace talks or land swaps between Moscow and Kyiv can take place. They have also made clear that any potential land swaps must be balanced and in agreement with Kyiv, and that Ukraine should further receive valuable security guarantees to protect it against further aggressions.

Three diplomats told POLITICO that Merz’ team had been in intensive discussions with other capitals in recent days to organize the virtual meeting. Merz also spoke with Trump via phone on Sunday night, and has repeatedly urged Trump to increase pressure on Putin by imposing crippling sanctions against Russia’s banking sector as well as secondary sanctions against Moscow’s trading partners.

Merz told German public broadcaster on Sunday night that “we cannot accept that territorial issues between Russia and America are discussed or even decided over the heads of the Europeans, over the heads of the Ukrainians,“ and added: “Putin only acts under pressure.“

According to a schedule seen by POLITICO, the virtual meetings will start at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, beginning with a one-hour discussion including leaders from Germany, Finland, France, the U.K., Italy, Poland, plus the European Commission and European Council presidents as well as Zelenskyy and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

The schedule then contains a one-hour discussion from 3 p.m., between the European leaders and Zelensky, with Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance.

[Kazan]

It is not strength or deterrence that leads to profitless wars

Um, we nor Ukraine are in a position of strength in this war. Russia is.

Ukraine can only continue to lose lives and territory by continuing this war.

What about that don't you understand?

Provoking a war for profit on the border of one of the great military powers in the world is nothing less than stupid.

Trump doubling down on Biden's failed strategy and accepting the responsibility for losing this proxy war would be even dumber.

[nathanbedford]

So, because Obama and Biden were stupid enough to setoff a civil war in Ukraine and start a proxy war with Russia that Ukraine was destined to lose, you believe Trump should continue and get the blame when Ukraine loses?

Where to start?

First, Obama and Biden, although stupid enough, in this case did not "set off a civil war in Ukraine." This is not a Civil War, it is pure and simple an unlawful invasion of a sovereign nation by a criminal state.

and start a proxy war with Russia

Is this a Civil War or a proxy war? Which do you say it is? Actually, it is neither. As noted it is not a Civil War and it is certainly not a proxy war with Russia. Our ally (yes, Ukraine is our ally) is at war with Russia a war in which it has many other allies besides United States, including much of Europe.

that Ukraine was destined to lose

If Ukraine is in fact destined to lose this war one can only note that its destiny has been rather effectively disguised for the last 3 1/2 years. As I noted in my first reply on this thread, Ukraine is not destined to lose merely because Donald Trump said they have "no cards to play"

In that first reply I also noted, "Putin is facing a crumbling economy, surging inflation, corruption without end in his military, stalemate as far as the eye can see, increased crippling international sanctions depriving him of what few Rubles he has left with which to wage war, and increasingly unsupportable human losses for no or little geographic gain." To ignore these facts that are fully supported by events and to claim the opposite without citing a single bit of evidence, must be described as willful denial of reality.

Consider a new piece of reality, Trump has flipped!

you believe Trump should continue and get the blame when Ukraine loses?

Many people accuse Trump of self seeking, of neglecting the national interest to pursue his own personal legacy. I do not do that, it would be the most damning judgment one could render against the man responsible for all our lives. Rather, I think that Trump is man enough to shoulder the responsibilities, as every other decent President before him has done, to play the cards previous presidents have dealt him. Every president inherits problems, often serious problems, his duty is to deal with the problems, not shirk them and blame his predecessor.

I think when Trump flipped to support Ukraine he shouldered his proper function in history.

[nathanbedford]

Please see my previous reply.

[Petrosius]

Um, we nor Ukraine are in a position of strength in this war. Russia is.

Only if you ignore their collapsing economy. Yes, Ukraine is hurting but Russia has run out of men, equipment, and money. Their grand summer offensive has gone nowhere. Russia is not the unstoppable behemoth that you think that it is. Your constant swagger only makes you look foolish.