Found an error?
Report now
Trump seems to have understood what is at stake for Ukraine, diplomats say. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
KEYSTONE
Shortly before the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Friedrich Merz, Volodymyr Selensky and other top European politicians tried to bring the US President into line with them - with clear demands and targeted images.
Just two days before his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump has received an unusually clearly structured appeal from Europe. On Wednesday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky, NATO chief Mark Rutte and other leading politicians joined forces to warn Trump against ceding territory to Russia.
DerSpiegelhas now researched the exact details of the meeting. It was Rutte who chose an image that Trump apparently understood immediately: if the large cities in the Donbass fell to Russia, a "highway to Kyiv" would be created. This would open the way for the Ukrainian capital to be captured. Participants in the broadcast had the impression that Trump did not want to negotiate territorial cessions - whether this was more than a momentary impression remains to be seen.
Merz presented Trump with a clear list of demands: Ukraine must have a seat at the table in future negotiations, a ceasefire is at the beginning, recognition of occupied territories is out of the question, "robust security guarantees" and further sanctions against Moscow are needed if Putin does not give in. Selensky put it in a nutshell: "We need pressure, pressure, pressure."
The Europeans deliberately kept the talks short - a lesson learned from previous meetings with Trump, whose attention span is limited, diplomats told Der Spiegel. Selensky also followed the agreements in order to avoid provocation. The consultations were part of an urgent diplomatic action after Trump surprisingly brought a possible deal with Putin into play last week, which envisaged territorial losses for Ukraine.
Trump later spoke publicly of a "very good" and "friendly" phone call, to which he would give ten points. He repeated some of the Europeans' core demands and announced "very serious consequences" for Russia in the event of failure in Alaska - without giving details. At the same time, he made it clear that he wanted to keep "leeway" open.
It was a symbolic day for Merz: after 100 days in office, he visibly appeared as European coordinator - with the aim of influencing Trump before the meeting with Putin. Whether the psycho trick works will be seen in Alaska at the latest.
