The European Union’s foreign policy chief said Friday that the possibility of Ukraine ceding land to Russia as part of a peace deal to end their three-year war is “a trap” set by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House said President Donald Trump is still working toward a bilateral meeting. "Nobody is ready to throw in the towel," one national security official said.

The Trump administration has ruled out deploying US troops on the ground in Ukraine, but officials suggest Washington could provide air support.

European NATO leaders must not be naive when discussing a Ukraine peace force but face up to the reality that they would need to deploy tens of thousands of troops to the country for the long term, the head of Germany's soldiers' union said.

An obvious plot offers itself to the deft diplomat: could Europe, the continental home of the Nobel prizes, dangle the prospect of a shiny medal and an Oslo banquet as a sort of carrot to lure Mr Trump onto their side when it comes to Ukraine?

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Three meters underground, a network of tunnels and trenches fortified with timber provides a safer spot for frontline fighters to rest and recuperate – and a deeper position to defend against a potential Russian advance into Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.

The European Union has allocated €4.05 billion in aid to Ukraine ahead of the country's 34th Independence Day - €3.05 billion through the Ukraine Facility and €1 billion in macro-financial assistance.