What kind of agreement would be needed for Ukraine?
European leaders have presented a series of conditions to be met for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia
Leyla Cheamil, 14.08.2025, 14:00
A series of meetings for Ukraine and its future have taken place both physically and online between the Western leaders ahead of the upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.
One of these involved the participation of the “Coalition of the Willing”, which brings together EU and NATO members, which are supporting Ukraine in the war commenced by the Russian Federation. Romania was represented by its president Nicusor Dan who said that for Bucharest, coordination and trans-Atlantic unity are essential. Dan hailed the initiative of US President Donald Trump to put an end to this aggression and bring durable peace to Ukraine. “We all agree that a ceasefire must be reached before any talks begin,” president Nicusor Dan said adding that the way peace is achieved is extremely important to Romania as a neighbour with the largest ground border with Ukraine, as it is for the entire Europe.
“The future and security of our continent, including the Black Sea region are at stake. That’s why we need a peace to take into consideration the interests of Ukraine and Europe. At the same time we agree that any deal should be accompanied by solid security guarantees for Ukraine,” the Romanian president said in his message.
At a videoconference held by a group of European leaders with the US President Donald Trump, which was also attended by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, they reiterated the conditions needed for a peace deal with Russia.
“A ceasefire must come first in any agreement”, German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz told a news conference in Berlin shortly after the aforementioned videoconference. Merz has called for robust security guarantees for Ukraine and for continued support of its defence capabilities.
At the same time, the European leaders asked that any future talks become part of ‘a joint Transatlantic strategy”.
Another condition is related to territorial issues. “A legal recognition of Russian occupation was not up for discussion. The principle that border must not be changed by force must be upheld,” Merz went on to say.
In turn French President, Emmanuel Macron, says the territorial issues related to Ukraine, must be negotiated only by the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. In Macron’s opinion “there are no schemes for territory swaps on the table.”
Russia has earlier called on Ukraine to officially cede it the four regions partially controlled by the Russian army – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as well as the Crimean peninsula annexed in 2014, give up its NATO-joining aspirations and trim its military capabilities.
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