LONDON

A group of eight Nordic and Baltic countries on Saturday emphasized that the next step "must be together with Ukraine" to achieve a just and lasting peace.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) countries—Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden—reaffirmed their "steadfast" support for Ukraine.

The statement expressed support for efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including those led by US President Donald Trump, and highlighted the importance of Ukraine's participation at the table.

"To achieve a just and lasting peace, the next step must be together with Ukraine. Only Ukraine can make decisions concerning its future," said the Nordic-Baltic states.

The leaders added: "No decisions on Ukraine without Ukraine, and no decisions on Europe without Europe."

The statement stressed that achieving a just and lasting peace requires a ceasefire and credible security guarantees for Ukraine, and that a peace agreement requires "firm and concrete commitments" from transatlantic partners to protect Ukraine "against any future aggression."

"We welcome President Trump's statement that the US is prepared to participate in security guarantees," it noted, adding that no limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or its cooperation with other countries.

They expressed that Russia has no veto over Ukraine's pathway to the EU and NATO.

"We will continue to arm Ukraine and enhance Europe's defences to deter further Russian aggression," added the statement.

The statement came following a key summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Trump and Putin held a key summit in Anchorage, Alaska, late Friday, marking the first meeting between the sitting Russian and US presidents in over four years.

In a joint statement issued early Saturday, European leaders expressed their willingness to support Trump's efforts to advance peace talks in Ukraine, stressing that Ukraine "must have ironclad security guarantees" to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.