In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, European Union leaders stressed that the Ukrainian people must have the right to determine their own destiny freely, ahead of the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

The statement — signed by 26 of the EU’s 27 member states, with Hungary declining to join — emphasized that any peace negotiations should take place only within the framework of a ceasefire or a reduction in hostilities, while safeguarding the security interests of both Ukraine and Europe.