A sense of alarm is growing among Ukraine’s allies over the potential for a “backroom deal” between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at their upcoming summit. The decision to proceed without Ukraine’s guaranteed participation has fueled fears of a settlement that ignores Kyiv’s core interests.
The alarm was first raised when Trump said he would meet Putin even if Ukrainian President Zelenskyy was not there. It was intensified by Trump’s comments about a “swapping of territories,” which sounds to many in Europe like a plan to carve up Ukraine for the sake of a quick resolution.
Allies are pursuing a different track, focusing on economic pressure to force a Russian withdrawal. The coordinated lowering of the oil price cap by Canada, the UK, and the EU is a testament to this strategy. They fear Trump’s desire for a personal diplomatic victory could lead him to offer concessions that undermine this pressure campaign.
The summit in Alaska will therefore be watched with as much anxiety as hope in European capitals. They will be looking for reassurance that the U.S. is not abandoning the principle of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” in its pursuit of a deal with Moscow.
