Brussels: Ahead of the Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, European Union member states, with the exception of Hungary, reaffirmed their support for Ukraine's autonomy in determining its future.

According to Anadolu Agency, the EU leaders emphasized the necessity of Ukraine's freedom to chart its own course, asserting that peace negotiations must involve Ukraine and occur in a context where hostilities are reduced. They issued a joint statement declaring that meaningful dialogue can only happen amid a ceasefire.

While the EU leaders collectively endorsed the statement, Hungary opted not to associate itself with it. The EU members expressed their approval of President Trump's initiatives to end the ongoing conflict and establish a sustainable peace, stressing that any resolution must abide by international law and uphold Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The statement also highlighted the EU's continued commitment to supporting Ukraine through various means, including political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic channels. The leaders emphasized the importance of a self-sufficient Ukraine as a crucial element of future security guarantees and expressed their willingness to further contribute to these assurances.

Moreover, the EU affirmed its ongoing support for Ukraine's aspirations towards EU membership. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, however, voiced his dissent on X, criticizing the statement for setting conditions without EU leaders' involvement in the summit. Orban suggested that the EU should instead aim to organize an EU-Russia summit, paralleling the US-Russia talks.

The EU's declaration followed an informal videoconference among EU foreign ministers, who convened to discuss the situation ahead of the upcoming meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin in Alaska.