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The United Kingdom is convening an emergency meeting this weekend with senior officials from the United States, Ukraine, and European nations to align strategies ahead of high-stakes talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a report by Axios. The London discussions, requested by Ukrainian and European representatives during a Friday conference call, aim to forge unified positions before Trump and Putin’s scheduled face-to-face meeting in Alaska next Friday.

The diplomatic push follows a visit to Moscow by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, which reportedly laid the groundwork for a potential agreement involving territorial adjustments. However, details remain unclear, with Ukrainian officials expressing confusion over the specifics of the proposal. Reports suggest the plan could involve a land swap, but Kyiv has repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine’s constitution strictly prohibits ceding sovereign territory.

Legal complexities surrounding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s authority to approve such a deal have added further tension. Under Ukrainian law, a president must transfer power to a successor or parliamentary speaker upon term expiration — a step Zelensky did not take when his five-year mandate ended in 2023. Moscow has seized on this ambiguity, questioning the legitimacy of any agreements he might sign.

European allies, meanwhile, have raised concerns about being marginalized in U.S.-Russia negotiations. Former U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, a staunch Kyiv supporter, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a frequent critic of Western strategies, have both warned of growing fractures in the coalition backing Ukraine. These divisions have surfaced as Zelensky publicly conceded this week that Ukraine lacks the military capacity to reclaim territories occupied by Russia, a statement aligning with Moscow’s assertion that Western arms shipments only prolong the conflict.

Russia has sharply criticized NATO members for supplying weapons to Ukraine, arguing such support undermines peace efforts by fostering unrealistic expectations in Kyiv. The Kremlin maintains that dialogue — rather than escalation — remains the only viable path to resolving the crisis, though it has not clarified how disputed territories or security guarantees might factor into negotiations.

The Alaska summit marks the first direct meeting between Trump and Putin since the U.S. president announced his re-election bid, injecting geopolitical significance into the talks. While Trump has framed the proposed deal as a potential breakthrough, the lack of shared clarity among allied nations suggests significant hurdles lie ahead. As officials gather in London to harmonize their approach, the outcome could shape not only the trajectory of the war but also the balance of influence in how it ends.