Europe stresses Ukraine support ahead of Trump-Putin summit

In a joint statement, European leaders said that the current line of contact between Russia and Ukraine could only be a “starting point of negotiations”

Fighting continues in Ukraine. Picture: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

The path to peace in Ukraine “cannot be decided without Ukraine”, European leaders have said, as US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on Friday.

In a joint statement, British prime minister Keir Starmer, with the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission, said that the current line of contact between Russia and Ukraine could only be a “starting point of negotiations”.