Vance in UK for high-stakes diplomacy day after Trump announces Putin meeting
Vice President JD Vance met with European allies and Ukrainian officials in the U.K. during a day of high-stakes diplomatic talks on Saturday -- less than a week before a historic meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The talks during a UK visit came just a day after Trump announced the face-to-face meeting with Putin set for Aug. 15 in Alaska to continue negotiations to end the war that has dragged on for more than three years.
A U.S. official told ABC News the Saturday talks Vance took part in "produced significant progress toward President Trump’s goal of bringing an end to the war in Ukraine."
The talks Saturday took place at the UK foreign secretary's estate, Chevening House in Kent, England. Vance met with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and representatives from Ukraine and other European allies.
The UK meeting came as the upcoming Trump-Putin summit -- set to happen without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the table -- has raised concern among Ukrainian officials and across Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday morning he had spoken with both Zelenskyy and other European leaders and that, "The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now."
Speaking from the White House on Friday, Trump suggested discussions to end the war could include "some swapping of territories," which Zelenskyy later swiftly rejected, saying Ukraine “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done” and that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials have also insisted that any negotiations must include Ukraine at the table.
"Our positions were clear: a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognizing the occupation," Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in a statement Saturday that also thanked JD Vance for taking part in the UK talks.
In an address Saturday evening, Zelenskyy called the talks Saturday in the UK "constructive" and said they came during an "active day of diplomacy" between Ukraine and several EU allies.
"All our messages were conveyed," Zelenskyy said of the talks with Vance. "Our arguments are being heard. The risks are being taken into account. The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together – and only together – with Ukraine. This is fundamental. And it is important that our joint approaches and shared vision work toward a genuine peace. A consolidated position. A ceasefire. An end to the occupation. An end to the war."
Speaking more broadly, Zelenskyy said he believes Trump "has the leverage and the determination" to end the war, adding that "Ukraine has supported all of President Trump's proposals, starting back in February."
Friday marked the deadline Trump set for Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face "secondary sanctions" against countries that buy oil from Russia.
But uncertainty remained as to whether the U.S. would hit Moscow with new economic penalties — and Trump has now agreed to meet with Putin.
The meeting in Alaska will be Putin’s first meeting with a major Western leader since Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago -- and his first visit to the U.S. in 10 years.
