Europe’s playing the long game here, and they’re trying to make sure President Trump knows exactly how high the stakes are before he sits down with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The mission? End the bloodletting in Ukraine without letting Moscow redraw the map by force. European leaders are hammering one point over and over—this isn’t just about handshakes and photo ops. Any peace deal worth the paper it’s printed on has to combine old-fashioned diplomacy with a steel-fist approach: strong support for Ukraine and sanctions that squeeze Russia until it hurts.

Before the summit, a small army of European officials huddled with U.S. reps and Ukraine’s own leadership. The goal was simple—make sure Trump understands exactly what Putin wants and why it’s a non-starter. Putin’s shopping list is short

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