Merz invites Trump to emergency call with EU leaders before Putin summit
Guardian1 day
Trump to Call Zelenskyy, European Leaders After Putin Talks
Above: U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference on Aug. 11, 2025. Image copyright: Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
There's no logic to invite Zelenskyy and European leaders to a meeting in which Trump intends to test the waters and understand whether or not a deal can be made with Putin. After all, Trump knows better than anyone how to make a deal and many of them — Zelenskyy, in particular — have been in power since the outbreak of the conflict and have done nothing.
Anti-Trump narrative
That Trump is sidelining Ukraine and Europe from talks with Putin in Alaska is utterly unacceptable and dangerous. As the ever-unpredictable and impulsive U.S. president sees Ukraine as the ultimate entry on his Nobel Peace Prize nomination form, chances are high that he intends to sell Ukraine out and force the country to accept becoming a vassal of Moscow.