Aug. 12 (UPI) -- European leaders on Tuesday demanded that the Ukrainian people should determine their own future and that no peace deal with Russia could be decided without Ukraine at the table. Hungary disavowed itself from the calls.
Ahead of Friday's U.S.-Russia summit to discuss Ukraine's fate, leaders of 26 of 27 European Union nations said in a statement that viable negotiations must be within the framework of a cease-fire or easing of hostilities and warned of the threat the war posed to European and international security.
The leaders said that while they welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war and deliver a just and lasting peace, that would only be possible through respect for international law principles of "independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force."
"The people of Ukraine must have the freedom to decide their future. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests."
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