Diplomatic solution for Ukraine crisis sought

European leaders stressed over the weekend that any diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis must protect the vital security interests of both Ukraine and Europe, in the wake of the announcement of the Russia-US summit in Alaska this week.

European leaders said the vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in a joint statement made on Saturday night.

Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities, according to the statement made by French, Italian, German, Polish, British and Finnish leaders and the president of the European Commission.

They welcomed the efforts to secure peace in Ukraine and pledged continued European diplomatic support, along with "substantive military and financial support "to Ukraine through the "coalition of the willing".

"The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," they said.

European and Ukrainian officials met with US Vice-president JD Vance in England to discuss how to end the conflict ongoing for more than three years.

It came as Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are set to meet on Aug 15 in Alaska to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump announced the meeting via his Truth Social platform on Friday, stating, "Will be meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week — big things on the table!"

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed the details hours later, noting the talks would focus on a "long-term peaceful solution for Ukraine".

In remarks on Friday, Trump hinted at potential land swaps between Ukraine and Russia, saying, "We're actually going to take back some land and exchange some … There will be territorial adjustments beneficial to both sides."

The Kremlin earlier last week reiterated demands that Ukraine give up territory, abandon its bid to join NATO, and accept limits on its military, in exchange for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the rest of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine won't surrender land to buy peace. "Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace," he said on social media.

Three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine this year have failed to bear fruit.

The upcoming meeting between the two leaders will be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when former US president Joe Biden met Putin in Switzerland.

The decision to meet in Alaska — where Russia and the US are separated by around 85 kilometers across the Bering Strait — carries deep historical weight as it was sold to the US in 1867.

The Kremlin said the choice was "logical" because the state close to the Arctic is on the border between the two countries, and this is where their "economic interests intersect".

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy welcomed the event, calling the state "a bridge between nations".

Moscow has also invited Trump to pay a reciprocal visit to Russia later.

Despite the diplomatic efforts, Russia and Ukraine continued pouring dozens of drones onto each other's positions in an exchange of attacks over the weekend.

A bus carrying civilians was hit in the city of Kherson, killing two people and wounding 16.

The Russian army claimed to have taken Yablonovka, another village in the Donetsk region.

Ukrainian media reported that an oil refinery in the city of Saratov, the administrative center of the region, was on fire after a drone attack.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.