“We would be recognising that for the moment Russia does control almost 20% of Ukraine but international borders remain what they are,” Prof Galeotti said, adding that Zelensky could accept de facto control without changing the constitution.
In their statement, European leaders said “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has wider implications for European and international security”, and stressed the need for a “just and lasting peace”.
They also said Ukraine should be capable of “defending itself effectively” and pledged to continue providing military support to Kyiv, which was “exercising its inherent right of self defence”.
“The European Union underlines the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny and will continue supporting Ukraine on its path towards EU membership,” the statement concluded.
Denting the apparent unity of the declaration was a line in smaller print at the bottom of the page pointing out that “Hungary does not associate itself with this statement”.
In a post on social media its leader Viktor Orban said he had opted out of supporting the statement as it attempted to set conditions for a meeting to which the EU was not invited and warned leaders not to start “providing instructions from the bench”.
He also urged the EU to set up its own summit with Russia – though EU leaders have been shunning direct talks with Moscow since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
On Monday Trump revealed he had sought Orban’s advice over the chances of Ukraine winning against Russia on the battlefield. “He looked at me like, ‘What a stupid question’,” Trump said.
Zelensky meanwhile continued to express his scepticism that Russia was serious about ending the war. “On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations,” he said in a statement on social media.
Ukraine’s military has downplayed reports of a breakthrough by Russian forces to the north of the embattled logistics hub of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region – but acknowledged it is facing a “difficult and dynamic” situation.
Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in Alaska on Friday.
Before that, EU leaders are due to hold talks with Trump on Wednesday. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will also join the call and said on Monday that peace would have to be “built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it”.
When they speak to Trump, the leaders will be hoping to put the security of the European continent and Ukrainian interests at the forefront of his mind – at a time when nervousness is growing that the peace imposed on Ukraine may end up being neither “just” nor “lasting”.