Image Credentials: Image Title: Europe and U.S. Agree: Only Ukraine Can Negotiate Territory with Russia Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: August 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle with Agencies
Brussels – European and U.S. leaders have reaffirmed that any negotiations over Ukrainian territory must be conducted solely by Ukraine, following a high-level call between European leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
French President Emmanuel Macron revealed on Wednesday that Trump had agreed with the position long held by the European Union, that territorial matters concerning Ukraine cannot be settled by outside powers and will only be negotiated directly by the Ukrainian president. The consensus, Macron said, helps clarify a key issue ahead of Friday’s scheduled meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Territorial issues concerning Ukrainian sovereignty cannot be negotiated [on Friday] and will only be discussed by the President of Ukraine,” Macron told reporters after the hour-long meeting, which also included European Council President António Costa and other EU representatives.
The statement comes just days after Trump suggested that a potential ceasefire could involve “some changes” to Ukraine’s borders, comments that had raised concerns in Kyiv and across Europe.
🇪🇺 Top EU 'diplomat', Kaja Kallas:
"Any agreement without us will fail. Any deal between the United States and Russia must include the EU and Ukraine"
Adds;
> The US should force Russia to negotiate seriously
> All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Nzcqjm5xcP— Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺 (@Alex_Oloyede2) August 10, 2025
Focus on Ceasefire Prospects
Zelensky, speaking after the call, reiterated that any territorial concessions must have the consent of the Ukrainian state and people. “I want to underline that any issue related to the territorial integrity of our state cannot be discussed against the will of our state and our people,” he said.
Costa emphasized Europe’s solidarity with Ukraine, posting on X that “the European Union is determined to work closely and in unity with the U.S. to end Russia’s war of aggression and ensure a just and lasting peace. Achieving a ceasefire remains the priority, as a necessary step toward serious negotiations with Ukraine.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hosted Zelensky in Berlin for the meeting, described Wednesday’s call as “constructive” and stressed that “the fundamental security interests of Europe and Ukraine must be protected” in the upcoming Trump-Putin talks.
Moscow Stands Firm
The diplomatic alignment between the EU, Ukraine, and the U.S. comes as Moscow hardens its stance. On the same day as the leaders’ call, the Kremlin reiterated its ceasefire demands: the full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russian-occupied territories and a formal pledge from Kyiv not to join NATO.
According to Reuters estimates, Russia currently controls roughly 19% of Ukrainian territory.
Friday’s meeting between Trump and Putin is expected to address the possibility of a ceasefire, but with both sides holding firm to their conditions, any breakthrough appears uncertain.