EU chief warns against 'carving up' of Ukraine in effort to sway US-led talks

The European Commission president has warned against "the unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation" as Europe scrambles to assert influence over the US's attempt to end the war in Ukraine.

- Jennifer Rankin

Speaking to European legislators in Strasbourg yesterday, Ursula von der Leyen said Russia showed "no signs of true willingness to end the conflict" and continued to operate in a mindset unchanged since the days of Yalta - the much-criticised 1945 summit to settle the postwar order.

"So we need to be clear that there cannot be unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation, and that borders cannot be changed by force. If today we legitimise and formalise the undermining of borders, we open the doors for more wars tomorrow, and we cannot let this happen."

She was speaking as the US continues to push for an end to the conflict, with Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff - who was exposed for coaching the Kremlin on the best way to win the US leader's favour - expected to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow early next week, while the US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, will meet the Ukrainian side.