IRIA News

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U.S. President Donald Trump held a videoconference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at a security summit in Paris on September 4, 2025, urging them to end Russian energy purchases and increase pressure on China.

According to a White House official, Trump said European states “are funding the war” through continued Russian oil imports. The official cited data showing that Russia had received $1.28 billion from EU fuel sales in one year, despite reductions since the start of the war in February 2022.

U.S. President Trump also stressed that European governments should confront China, which he accused of indirectly sustaining Russia’s war economy.

Another U.S. official described the president as “cordial but very direct,” adding that he placed the responsibility squarely on Europe to tighten sanctions and increase costs for Moscow.

European Response

After the call, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to reject peace talks, Europe would expand sanctions in coordination with the United States. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed that position, saying Europe must apply “even greater pressure” to secure a cessation of hostilities.

Zelenskyy, who joined the Paris summit in person, emphasized that more pressure was essential. “We need to stop Russia’s ability to finance this war,” he said. The Ukrainian president also highlighted the importance of Washington’s role in any future peace agreement, noting, “It is important that the United States is with us.”

Paris Security Summit

The Paris meeting, co-chaired by Macron and Starmer, brought together leaders from nearly 30 nations, most of them European, but also including Canada, Australia, and Japan. The group, calling itself the “Coalition of the Willing,” agreed on the outlines of security guarantees for Ukraine if a ceasefire takes hold.

Macron announced that 26 countries had formally pledged to contribute troops or other forms of support. “We have today 26 countries who have committed to deploy as reassurance force troops in Ukraine, or to be present on the ground, at sea, or in the air,” Macron said alongside Zelenskyy. The forces, he specified, would not serve on the front line but would act as a stabilizing presence after any peace agreement.

Zelenskyy called the pledges a “serious concrete step,” stressing that Ukraine required long-term security guarantees backed by Western military commitments. Ukrainian officials outlined options ranging from training missions and air support to symbolic troop deployments and financial contributions.

Today’s Coalition of the Willing meeting was attended by leaders in person and online. Over 30 countries, all united by the same goal: to end this war with a reliable peace and long-term security.

We discussed in detail each country’s readiness to make a contribution to ensuring… pic.twitter.com/1LiqpIatqq

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 4, 2025

The United States has not yet confirmed whether it will send forces, but has been involved in discussions at every stage. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, attended the Paris talks and met separately with Zelenskyy. Macron said U.S. support would be finalized “in the coming days.”

Despite Trump’s demands for Europe to shoulder more of the burden, Ukrainian and European officials argue that Washington’s involvement is essential for any credible guarantee. U.S. intelligence, airpower, and financial backing are seen as the backbone of any stabilization force.

Challenges and Divisions

Europe’s effort to cut Russian energy ties has been uneven. While overall imports have fallen sharply, Hungary and Slovakia continue to buy Russian crude under exemptions to EU sanctions, citing their reliance on pipeline deliveries. Russian petroleum products also reach European markets through third countries such as Turkey and India, according to energy analysts.

Trump’s sharp tone drew attention in part because of his recent outreach to Putin, including a meeting in Alaska last month. Critics said the president’s message contrasted with his earlier attempts at direct diplomacy with the Kremlin. Still, Trump insisted during the call that he remained dissatisfied with Putin’s refusal to meet Zelenskyy or halt attacks on Ukrainian cities.

“I am very disappointed in him,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “He and I always had a great relationship. I’m very disappointed.”

No Movement on Peace Talks

Putin said recently he was willing to meet Zelenskyy in Moscow, a proposal Kyiv rejected as a non-starter. Ukrainian officials warned such a meeting would endanger Zelenskyy’s safety and signal capitulation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed there were no plans for talks involving Trump at the presidential level, saying negotiations were already being conducted “at a high enough level.”

European leaders remain frustrated. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed caution about committing German peacekeepers, preferring to focus on strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has ruled out sending troops but said Italy could help monitor any agreement.

Meanwhile, Russia has rejected outright the idea of foreign troops in Ukraine. Putin warned Moscow was prepared to “resolve all our tasks militarily” if a deal acceptable to the Kremlin could not be reached.

The European Commission has proposed legislation to phase out all Russian oil and gas imports by January 2028. Leaders say additional sanctions are in preparation if Moscow refuses to engage in serious peace talks.

For Ukraine, the central question is whether U.S. backing will extend beyond financial support into tangible commitments under any security guarantee.

Zelenskyy underscored in Paris: “We coordinated positions and reviewed elements of security guarantees. We know which countries are ready. Now we need the United States to be part of this effort.”

As Europe signals unprecedented willingness to deploy forces, the war shows little sign of ending. Russian drone attacks killed at least three civilians in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on Wednesday night, highlighting the daily toll even as leaders debate long-term guarantees.