President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's "number one" request at the Alaska summit is for Russia to agree to a ceasefire.
Only a ceasefire can provide the basis for meaningful peace talks, say Ukraine and its European allies. After a phone call between US President Donald Trump and European leaders on Wednesday, two European diplomats familiar with the matter told CNN that Trump suggested he would push for a ceasefire in today's talks, which are currently underway.
If Russia accepts a ceasefire, Ukraine's attention could turn to its next priority, a seat on the table for the next meeting. Kiev hopes today's talks will be a prelude to a trilateral summit between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the US.
"Everything that has to do with Ukraine should be discussed exclusively with Ukraine. We need to prepare a trilateral format for talks," Zelensky said after Wednesday's phone call with Trump.