A group of senior European Union officials and heads of government said Russia has no right to impede Ukraine’s ambition to join the EU or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In a joint statement released on 15–16 August, the leaders also insisted that no restrictions should be placed on Kyiv’s armed forces or its military cooperation with third countries. The document was signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and European Council President António Costa. The signatories pledged to maintain pressure on Moscow through sanctions and to strengthen security guarantees for Ukraine until a “just and durable” peace is achieved. The leaders welcomed recent diplomatic efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to broker a settlement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said they are prepared to participate in a proposed trilateral summit that would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. They stressed, however, that any negotiations must respect Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders and its sovereign right to choose its own alliances.