European Coalition of the Wiling Unites Against Putin’s Summit Demands
European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are forming a ‘coalition of the willing’ to project unity and reject Russian demands ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Washington visit and potential Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit. The coalition, which aims to form a singular front before Zelenskyy faces Trump, opposes any territorial concessions under force and seeks binding security guarantees for Ukraine. In their August 13 joint statement, the leaders emphasized their commitment to a peace deal that does not involve Ukraine ceding territory to Russia.
The push comes after Axios reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from two eastern regions during his summit with President Donald Trump in Alaska. Trump is now pressing for a three-way summit with Putin and Zelenskyy ‘fast,’ possibly as early as August 22. The coalition believes their unified stance can give Zelenskyy added support as he enters the talks. However, the White House has not immediately commented on the matter. The stakes are high, with Trump expressing confidence that his influence can drive the negotiations, while European leaders see any Russian attempt to involve China as a direct challenge to their security system.
Macron, Starmer, and Merz’s August 13 joint statement reaffirmed their stance against territorial concessions and their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The phrase ‘coalition of the willing’ once described the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, but today, Europe is using it to block any peace deal that redraws Ukraine’s borders by force. Sunday’s meeting, Zelenskyy’s White House talks on Monday, and Trump’s push for a three-way summit will show whether Europe’s coalition has real influence or if Washington and Moscow set terms alone.
Zelenskyy, who will arrive in Washington on Monday, is expected to push for a settlement, with the support of European leaders. The Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The potential summit marks the first direct encounter between the three men since the war began. However, concerns remain about whether the coalition’s efforts will be enough to counter Putin’s demands and ensure a favorable outcome for Ukraine.