Have German, French, and UK Leaders Made a Decision on Their Trip to the US for a Meeting with Zelensky?

Berlin, Aug 17 (NationPress) The administrations of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to determine on Sunday whether their leaders will travel to the United States for a meeting involving US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, according to media reports.

The German publication Bild has indicated that the leaders are planning to coordinate their actions on Sunday to decide who will attend the meeting scheduled for August 18 in the US, as reported by the Russian news agency Tass.

However, Bild notes that such a decision hinges on an official invitation from the US.

It was reported that President Trump had proposed inviting European politicians to the US meeting with Zelensky, but no formal invitations have been issued so far.

Bild also highlighted that the European leaders aim to avoid a meeting that serves only for show.

Earlier, a US publication cited the Elysee Palace stating that the 'coalition of the willing' will convene via video link on Sunday.

Starmer, Merz, and Macron have announced that coalition members will hold a conversation soon, although the specific date has not been disclosed. They are set to meet virtually at 3:00 p.m. local time (1:00 p.m. GMT) on Sunday, as reported by Tass.

During this meeting, they will discuss the 'next steps' regarding peace efforts in Ukraine.

An earlier report from a US newspaper, citing sources, indicated that following his discussion with Putin, President Trump suggested negotiating a peace deal in which Ukraine would cede the remaining parts of the Donbass region to Russia, including territories not yet liberated by Russian forces, during a phone call with European leaders.

A ceasefire at the current battlefronts in Ukraine and security assurances for both Kyiv and Europe would be offered in return.

On Friday, Trump and Putin met at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Alaska. Their discussions lasted nearly three hours and included a one-on-one dialogue in Trump's limousine en route to the main negotiation site, as well as a small-group conversation with three participants from each side.

The Russian delegation included Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while the US side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff.

In a media statement after the discussions, President Putin indicated that their focus was primarily on resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Trump characterized his summit with Putin as 'very productive'.

Following the summit, he contacted Zelensky, EU leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

After the summit and subsequent calls, Trump stated that Ukraine and Russia should move directly towards finalizing a peace agreement, having withdrawn his demand for a ceasefire.

Trump and Zelensky are expected to meet at the White House on Monday.

The US leader remarked that if discussions with Zelensky prove successful, another meeting with Putin will be arranged.