EU scrambles as US and Russia peace talks near

EU foreign ministers on Monday are holding a meeting via video link to urgently discuss the face-to-face meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday that aims to hash out a peace plan in Ukraine.

With the much anticipated meeting fast approaching, EU leaders are scrambling to remain relevant in a post-war world by insisting that Kiev and European powers be involved in the peace process.

They fear that a meeting without Ukrainian and EU representation could see large swaths of territory ceded to Russia.

"The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," said EU leaders and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a joint statement. They have also urged Trump to put more pressure on Russia.