• European leaders welcome US efforts to mediate the Russia-Ukraine war.
• Emphasis on the need for Ukraine’s security interests to be prioritized in diplomacy.
• Ukrainian President Zelenskiy expresses full support for the joint statement by European leaders.

European leaders have welcomed US President Donald Trump's initiatives to mediate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, asserting that any diplomatic solution "must protect Ukraine's and the continent's vital security interests." In a joint statement, they express a commitment to support Ukraine while maintaining pressure on Russia, with French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders underlining the importance of robust security guarantees for Ukraine's sovereignty, stating, "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," according to trtglobal and aa.

As Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has publicly endorsed the recent joint statement by European leaders, which emphasizes the necessity of providing security guarantees for Ukraine and pressuring Russia. Zelenskiy articulated his gratitude for support aimed at achieving a "fair" end to the war, stressing the importance of safeguarding European interests through diplomacy, according to reuters and aa.

European leaders, including Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have reiterated that effective diplomacy must go hand-in-hand with military and financial support for Ukraine. They emphasized that "no peace without Ukraine" must be a guiding principle in any negotiation efforts, and they are unified in their stance against changes to international borders by force, according to trtglobal and reuters.