Ukraine and Europe Counter Putin's Cease-Fire Proposal

A U.S. official said the meetings made progress toward Trump's goal of ending the war

- Bojan Pancevski & Yaroslav Trofimov

European powers and Ukraine responded to Vladimir Putin's cease-fire plan with a counter-proposal that they say must serve as a framework so that coming talks between President Trump and the Russian leader can gain traction, according to European officials familiar with the talks.

The European plan rejected a Russian proposal to trade Ukrainian-held parts of the Donetsk region for a cease-fire. It was put forward in a meeting with top U.S. officials in England on Saturday.

The meeting was constructive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday night. "Our arguments are being heard. The dangers are being taken into account," Zelensky said in an address.

"It's important that America has the determination and capability to end the war, and we welcome President Trump's efforts to stop the killing," he added.

A U.S. official said the meetings made progress toward Trump's goal of ending the war in Ukraine. A European participant said the U.S. side reacted positively to the European plan.

European governments, including those of Britain, Germany, and France, as well as Ukraine, scrambled to respond to the peace proposal that came out of this past week's encounter between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin. Following these talks, Trump let lapse his self-imposed deadline for imposing stiff secondary sanctions on Russia and agreed to a summit with Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15.

The European aim is to draw a common red line together with Ukraine that European officials say must apply to any potential negotiation with Russia.

"The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now," French President Emmanuel Macron posted on social media Saturday. "Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as it concerns their security."