Stubb and Meloni call for European hand in Trump peace push

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Europe needs a real voice in shaping Washington’s Ukraine peace plan after a joint call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Sunday that he and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke together with U.S. President Donald Trump in what he described as a spontaneous, wide-ranging phone call about Washington’s proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Stubb, speaking after the G20 summit in Johannesburg, said the effort “needs patience” and noted that European governments only learned of the plan once it was already public.

For Stubb, the immediate priority is straightforward. “The key right now would be to get a ceasefire,” he said, adding that discussions on the U.S. text are only just beginning. He said Trump made clear that backing Ukraine remains a U.S. interest, but cautioned that expectations should be realistic, calling himself “carefully optimistic.”

Meloni, addressing Italian reporters after the same summit, echoed the need for Europe to be fully involved. She said working on the U.S. proposal could be “meaningful,” provided Europe contributes ideas that actually push the process forward. She described the current moment as “a very delicate stage” and a test of whether Europe can show maturity, add substance and help shape a path that all sides agree is urgently needed.

When pressed on whether Europe should draft its own plan to counter Washington’s, Meloni pushed back. “It makes more sense to work on the existing proposal and focus on the truly crucial issues,” she said. Those issues include territory, reconstruction, and the future shape of Ukraine’s military. She also pointed to some “positive” elements, especially potential security guarantees.

Meloni stressed that Europe must be involved, whether or not it helped draft the original text, because key parts of any settlement – reconstruction funding, long-term security arrangements and Ukraine’s path towards the European Union – depend heavily on European resources and political backing.

She also said that Russia would need to show a genuine commitment, starting with halting attacks on civilian infrastructure. Meloni added that she does not believe Vladimir Putin currently intends to end the conflict, arguing that putting forward a serious proposal is one way to expose who actually wants a settlement.

Asked about Türkiye’s involvement, Meloni said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been “constructive from the beginning” and could play a strategic role. She said he plans to speak with Putin and is also expected to hold talks with Trump, calling his engagement “a good development.”

Stubb, meanwhile, suggested that while the opening is narrow, the latest push around the U.S. plan – and Europe’s growing involvement – may offer a chance to move diplomacy forward if all sides are prepared to engage seriously.

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