EU Leaders Demand Ironclad Security Guarantees for Ukraine After Trump-Putin Talks

European Union leaders on Saturday reiterated their commitment to deliver "ironclad" security guarantees for Ukraine, saying the measures are essential to protect both Ukrainian and European vital interests. In a joint statement signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other senior officials, the bloc promised to reinforce military and economic assistance to Kyiv and keep pressure on Moscow until a "just and lasting peace" is achieved. The declaration followed a briefing by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said Moscow favored going directly to a peace settlement rather than a cease-fire, a proposal Europe views as viable only if Kyiv’s territorial integrity is fully safeguarded. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that robust guarantees were "essential" for Ukraine to defend its borders and for Europe’s own security architecture. European leaders signaled readiness to support a three-way summit among Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU representatives, while vowing to tighten sanctions and other economic measures against Russia if the conflict persists. "International borders must not be changed by force," the statement said, underscoring Europe’s position that any negotiated peace must be on terms acceptable to Kyiv.