By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1523 EAT on Tuesday 19 August 2025

A virtual meeting among members of the so-called “coalition of the willing” to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine appears to have concluded, with several participants sharing statements on social media.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country “welcomes ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and enduring peace, including yesterday’s discussions with Washington.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that leaders from Canada, Japan, Turkey, New Zealand, and several European nations had assessed the outcomes of the Alaska meeting “very realistically.”

“We all confirmed the need for continued support for Ukraine in the war with Russia,” Tusk added.

As previously reported, the meeting followed high-level talks at the White House on Monday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European leaders, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Switzerland is eager to host the proposed talks for several reasons: to reaffirm Geneva’s relevance as a hub for diplomacy amid deep budget cuts to UN agencies based there, and possibly to signal goodwill toward President Trump in hopes of securing a better trade arrangement following his recent imposition of steep 39% tariffs on Swiss goods.

However, regardless of Switzerland’s aspirations, the final decision on the venue—if the talks move forward at all—will rest with the major powers.

President Vladimir Putin is reportedly reluctant to attend any negotiations in Western Europe, and is believed to favor alternative locations such as Turkey or the United Arab Emirates.

Switzerland has expressed its readiness to host a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with Geneva proposed as a possible venue.

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion that the talks be held in Geneva, saying Switzerland is “grateful for the trust placed in it” to facilitate high-level diplomacy.

However, the proposal is complicated by legal obligations under international law. As a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), Switzerland is legally required to arrest individuals indicted by the court. President Putin is currently under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes related to the invasion of Ukraine.

Despite this, the Swiss government has already begun exploring legal options in anticipation of Geneva being selected. Cassis suggested there may be room for diplomatic flexibility, citing Switzerland’s long-standing neutral role and Geneva’s status as a major center for international diplomacy.

“We can do this despite the arrest warrant against Putin, because of our special role and the role of Geneva as the European headquarters of the United Nations,” Cassis told Swiss media on Monday.

The final decision on whether and where such a meeting might take place remains uncertain, particularly given ongoing geopolitical tensions and President Putin’s reported reluctance to attend talks in Western Europe.

For 57-year-old Viktoria, a Kyiv resident originally from the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, the recent high-level talks in Washington offered a glimmer of hope.

“There are at least some issues in common,” she says. “That’s something.”

During the meetings, European leaders and U.S. officials reaffirmed their commitment to providing Ukraine with long-term security guarantees. But for Viktoria, true peace remains elusive.

“The gap between Russian desires and Ukrainian ones is too big,” she says, her tone tinged with sadness. “It’s very painful to watch all this happening.”

One of the most contentious topics surrounding the talks has been the suggestion—reported in the days leading up to the summit—that former President Donald Trump may pressure Ukraine to cede territory in exchange for a ceasefire. Specifically, the focus has fallen on the Donbas region, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk, parts of which have been occupied by Russian-backed forces since 2014.

Viktoria, who fled the town of Selydove in Donetsk last August as the fighting drew closer, now lives in Kyiv. She hopes the move is only temporary.

“I want to return to Donbas,” she says. “I want to be in my own, Ukrainian Donbas. In a peaceful, native Donbas—with [Russian] neighbours—because we live side by side.”

Her words reflect the deep complexities of the conflict: a longing for peace, a defense of national identity, and a recognition of the intertwined histories of people on both sides of the divide.

Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House alongside European leaders, former U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that a meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin may now be possible.

But what would it take for Putin to agree to end the war?

Trump has already indicated that Ukraine would not join NATO—one of Moscow’s longstanding demands. Russia is now seeking to have that commitment formally reiterated and ratified. In addition, the Kremlin wants full control over the Donbas region, which would require Ukraine to surrender the remaining territory it holds in Donetsk and Luhansk.

During their summit in Alaska last week, Putin reportedly presented Trump with a draft peace proposal. According to sources familiar with the talks, the plan would see Ukraine withdraw from the Donetsk region in exchange for Russia freezing its military advances in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Russia claims the entire Donbas as its territory, currently controlling most of Luhansk and around 70% of Donetsk. It also annexed Crimea in 2014—eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire and, according to reports, has convinced Trump to skip that step entirely. After their meeting, Trump indicated he now favors moving directly to a permanent peace agreement—a notable shift in his stance and a potential turning point in the conflict.

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