European leaders are pressing Washington to ratchet up sanctions pressure on Moscow as they race to shape the outcome of a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that could determine the fate of Ukraine and long-term security of the continent.
Ahead of talks between the US president and his Russian counterpart in Alaska on Friday, European capitals have been rushing to forge a united front over the format and substance of a meeting that could be a turning point in Russia’s invasion.
At a summit on Saturday, hosted by UK foreign minister David Lammy and attended by US vice-president JD Vance, European and Ukrainian security advisers argued Washington should apply more pressure on Russia through sanction threats, according to several officials in attendance or briefed on the talks.