Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won diplomatic backing from Europe and the Nato alliance on Sunday ahead of a Russia-US summit this week where Kyiv fears Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump may try to dictate terms for ending the three-and-a-half-year war.Trump, who for weeks had been threatening new sanctions against Russia for failing to halt the war, announced instead on Friday that he would meet Putin on August 15 in Alaska.A White House official has said Trump is open to Zelensky attending but preparations are under way for only a bilateral meeting.Russian strikes injured at least 12 in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, the country’s foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday.Zelensky, responding to the strike, said: “That is why sanctions are needed, pressure is needed.”The Kremlin leader last week ruled out meeting Zelensky, saying conditions for such an encounter were “unfortunately still far” from being met.
Zelensky wins EU, Nato backing as he seeks place at Trump-Putin talks
The US is open to a summit involving Putin and Zelensky but for now is planning a bilateral meeting in Alaska as requested by Russia.













