European leaders on Saturday made it clear that Moscow cannot decide whether Ukraine joins the European Union or NATO.

The EU said that Russia had no veto power over Kyiv’s future.

The firm message came hours after talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without progress in ending the nearly four-year war.

A joint statement signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Frederich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Europe would continue to support Ukraine’s right to choose its alliances.

"We are ready to work towards a trilateral summit with European support, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,” the statement said.

The leaders also promised to maintain pressure on Moscow. “European nations vow to continue to strengthen sanctions on Russia,” the EU statement added, confirming their opposition to Putin’s aggression.

Trump had hosted Putin in Alaska on Friday and hoped to secure a deal to end the war in Ukraine, but despite hours of talks, no agreement was reached. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump told reporters, admitting that key issues were still unsettled.

Putin said that progress had been made but warned Europe not to “torpedo the progress.” It was his first visit to the United States in more than ten years.

Trump had promised for a long time to end the war quickly, but seven months after returning to office, he was not able to even secure a pause in the fighting. Instead, Putin used the meeting to reinforce Russia’s position on the world stage, thanking Trump for the “friendly” tone of their talks.

“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to,” Trump said. “And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn’t get there.”

Putin appreciated the welcome in Anchorage and said both countries should “turn the page and go back to cooperation.”

He praised Trump, saying that the US president was a leader who “has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country.”

For Ukraine, the talks were worrying. Zelensky was excluded, breaking the long-standing idea of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” Before the meeting, he asked Washington to take a “strong position” in defending Kyiv’s interests. Afterwards, Trump said it was partly Zelensky’s job “to get it done,” though he added that European countries would also take part.

Even though Trump had threatened sanctions, the Alaska talks could delay new measures against Moscow, giving Russian forces more time to advance.

The war continued to wear down both sides, with Ukraine struggling to defend its positions across a 1,000-kilometre front line.

After the Alaska meeting ended, Trump said on Saturday that the “best way” to end the Russia-Ukraine war was to go directly for a peace agreement instead of a ceasefire.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "A great and very successful day in Alaska! The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late-night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO. It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often does not hold up. President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"