Hello there, welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service coming to you live from London.

I'm Ben James.

Now, European leaders won't be in the room when President Trump meets President Putin in Alaska at the end of the week,

but they want their perspective to be very much present with the war in Ukraine, front and centre.

And that was the point of their call with President Trump earlier.

Part of doing what they can to, quote, help set the agenda, according to Germany's Chancellor Mertz.

Leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Poland, Finland, NATO and the EU were also involved in the call.

With Ukraine's President Zelensky at his side in person in Berlin,

these are some of the things the Chancellor outlined as the right path in his view for ending the war.

We want to make sure that the right chronology happens,

that there is a ceasefire and that there is an agreement that is discussed after that. A legal recognition of Russian ownership of this territory

cannot happen. There have to be robust security guarantees. The sovereignty of Ukraine has to be respected.

And if no peace, President Zelensky said he would like to see further sanctions on Russia

if the Kremlin doesn't agree to a ceasefire. Putin is bluffing.

I have been talking to Trump, European colleagues, that Putin doesn't want peace.

He wants to occupy our country.

And we understand it.

Putin cannot fool us.

We need to pressure him.

Sanctions not only from the U. US, but also from the European Union.

Together, our union of partners can really, really stop Putin's war.

The German Chancellor had also said it was important that Ukraine is at the table,

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