Axios: Ukraine, allies scramble to align strategy before Trump’s meeting with Putin

Senior officials from the United States, Ukraine, and several European nations are preparing to meet this weekend in the United Kingdom to align their positions ahead of the anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to three sources familiar with the plans, as reported by Axios.

This gathering is significant because Ukraine and its NATO allies privately worry that Trump might accept Putin’s proposals to end the conflict without adequately considering their viewpoints.

The idea for this in-person meeting emerged during a conference call on August 7 involving U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials—the third such discussion in as many days. The details, including participant lists and logistics, are still being finalised.

Momentum toward reviving peace talks accelerated earlier this week after White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow, just days before Trump’s deadline for a ceasefire or sanctions was set to expire. Although Trump signed an executive order authorising sanctions against countries buying Russian oil and announced a tariff increase on India, he did not impose new sanctions on Russia as initially expected on August 1.

Behind the scenes, on August 6, Trump conducted a conference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to update them on Witkoff’s discussions with Putin.

According to two sources, Witkoff reported that Putin agreed to end the war if Ukraine conceded its Luhansk and Donetsk regions—areas largely occupied by Russian forces since the invasion—as well as Crimea. Some participants left the call believing Putin had also agreed to relinquish claims on two additional Ukrainian territories partially controlled by Russia: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which would represent a notable shift from previous Russian demands.

However, the following day, during another video call with senior Ukrainian and European officials, Witkoff clarified that Putin had agreed only to freeze Russia’s current military positions in those regions. This means significant portions, including the strategic Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant area, would remain under Russian control.

During the most recent Friday call, the officials discussed convening in person to better coordinate a joint approach. Afterwards, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, tweeted that the talks focused on "coordinating positions to bring a sustainable and just peace for Ukraine as soon as possible" and emphasised their readiness to work productively to save lives and end the fighting.

Ukrainian officials have expressed confusion regarding the exact terms of the Russian proposal and the U.S. stance. One Ukrainian official told Axios that even if Zelenskyy were to agree to Putin’s territorial demands, Ukraine’s constitution requires a referendum before any land can be ceded.

By Tamilla Hasanova