By LORNE COOK, Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders appealed on Tuesday to U.S. President Donald Trump to defend their security interests at a key summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin later this week over the war in Ukraine.

Putin appeared to be on the verge of making a key territorial grab ahead of Friday’s summit, potentially to use as leverage in any peace negotiations.

The Europeans are desperate to exert some influence over the meeting from which they have been sidelined. It remains unclear whether even Ukraine will take part. Trump has said that he wants to see whether Putin is serious about ending the war, now in its fourth year.

But Trump has disappointed U.S. allies in Europe by saying that Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territo

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