European governments issued a joint statement over the weekend pledging to keep arming Ukraine, maintain sanctions on Russia and work on “security guarantees” for Kyiv. The declaration comes just days before U.S. President Donald Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August to discuss ways to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion in 2022. According to European officials cited in a Reuters report, the bloc also handed U.S. Vice President JD Vance a counter-proposal during talks in Britain. The document insists any roadmap start with a cease-fire and rejects the idea, floated by Trump, of Ukraine ceding territory in exchange for peace. Moscow currently claims four eastern regions and Crimea; Kyiv and Brussels say changing Ukraine’s borders would reward aggression. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a series of calls with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, telling them that President Putin is seeking to evade sanctions and secure fresh territorial gains. Zelensky reiterated that “the future of Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine,” a position echoed by Macron, who said Europe’s own security is at stake. The diplomatic push underscores widening differences between Washington and its European allies on how to structure a potential settlement. While the White House argues a land-for-peace formula could shorten the conflict, Kyiv and major EU capitals are pressing for firmer guarantees that would lock in Ukraine’s sovereignty before any political concessions are discussed.