NEW YORK, August 9. /TASS/. European leaders fear that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump may come to an agreement on resolving the conflict in Ukraine without the participation of the European Union, The New York Times reported citing sources.
According to them, European officials are trying to convince Trump that Ukraine should be present at the negotiating table and want him to hear their opinion before the meeting of the American and Russian leaders scheduled for August 15.
European countries are also seeking their participation in the negotiation process, but, as the newspaper notes, this is considered unlikely.
Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said Putin and Trump "will undoubtedly focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis." The Kremlin expects that the next meeting between Putin and Trump will take place on Russian territory, Ushakov said.