Global & US Headlines
EU, US and Ukrainian Leaders Coordinate via Phone Before Trump–Zelensky Mar-a-Lago Summit
On 27 Dec 2025, Ursula von der Leyen hosted a multi-leader teleconference with Presidents Trump and Zelensky, aligning EU and North-American positions hours before the two presidents’ 28 Dec face-to-face talks in Florida on a potential Ukraine peace deal.
Focusing Facts
- Teleconference held 27 Dec 2025 included Trump, Zelensky, EC President von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and leaders of Poland, Germany, France, UK, Italy and Canada.
- Trump–Zelensky meeting scheduled for 28 Dec 2025 at 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida.
- Von der Leyen pledged on X that the EU will "keep up the pressure on the Kremlin" and sustain support to Ukraine through 2026, including its EU-accession track.
Context
Big-power choreographing ahead of a high-stakes summit recalls the flurry of calls between Paris, Berlin, Moscow and Kyiv that preceded the Minsk II accord in Feb 2015—and even the hurried Allied consultations before Yalta in 1945. The pattern is familiar: when a European security order is in flux, continental leaders seek U.S. buy-in before redrawing lines. This episode reflects two converging trends: (1) Europe’s incremental but still incomplete strategic autonomy, evident in its desire to bind Washington to any settlement, and (2) Ukraine’s evolution from buffer state to would-be EU member, a shift that challenges Russia’s post-Soviet sphere. Over a 100-year horizon, whether these calls lead to concrete, enforceable security guarantees—something the 1925 Locarno Treaties and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum ultimately failed to deliver—will determine if Eastern Europe finally escapes its cycle of contested borders or merely rehearses another fragile truce.
Perspectives
European establishment media
Ukrinform, AFP via BSS, Devdiscourse — Present the pre-summit phone call as proof that the EU remains firmly committed to backing Kyiv and pursuing a "just and lasting peace" that safeguards Ukrainian sovereignty (e.g., 9018726180, 9018956078). By stressing unity and progress, these outlets gloss over EU fatigue, budget wrangles and member-state dissent that could weaken the bold promises they highlight. ( Ukrinform-EN , Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) )
Russian state or Russia-aligned media
TASS, Asharq Al-Awsat quoting Lavrov — Portray the same developments as evidence of European meddling, with Lavrov warning that any EU troops would be "legitimate targets" and hinting that Brussels is driven by reckless ambition rather than concern for Ukrainians (9019014749, 9018159914). Framing EU moves as aggressive helps justify Moscow’s own military posture while deflecting attention from Russia’s invasion and civilian toll.
Eurosceptic finance commentary sites
bankingnews.gr — Claim, citing an ex-CIA analyst, that Zelensky may have bribed top EU figures like von der Leyen and Kallas to secure aid, illustrating what they call a deep crisis of transparency in Brussels (9019461748). Sensational corruption narratives, offered without concrete evidence, cater to audiences already hostile to EU institutions and can sow doubt about all pro-Ukraine policies.