His question thanks. Thank you.

I also wanted to follow up on, the call that,

President von der Leyen and others participated in with President Trump yesterday.

Several leaders have indicated, when speaking after the meeting that President Trump had,

offered for the US to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine.

I was wondering if you could confirm that and also if you have Any thoughts on what the next steps would be because Europeans have been engaging in talks

as part of the coalition of the willing on possible future security guarantees,

but if the US would take part, what would be the next steps in this coordination? Thank you.

Thanks a lot for the questions, Lily.

Indeed, first of all, as we had announced, I can confirm that President von der Leyen has

participated yesterday to the various calls between European leaders,

President Zelensky and President Trump relating to Ukraine.

I am sure that you have seen on social

media some comments from the president relating to these calls.

She has said in particular that they have had a very good calls that they exchanged upon the bilateral meeting that will take place between President Trump and President Putin tomorrow in Alaska,

and that the calls allowed Europe, the US and NATO to strengthen the common ground for Ukraine.

She also has confirmed that we will remain, or she will remain in close coordination with the other leaders.

She has also reiterated, of course, that nobody wants peace more than Europe,

and Ukraine, and the US a just and lasting peace.

For what concerns, security guarantees,

what I can say is that the US president said indeed yesterday. The US would participate.

The details on this are for the US administration to answer.

Europe's position on this matter is extremely clear, and it is that there has to be a need

for a robust and credible security guarantee that enables

Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

So if I can use the words of the president.

To explain the concept that she has made reference many times to the steel porcupine strategy,

so to make Ukraine completely undigestible for an external aggressor.

On next steps, I don't have much to say at this stage.

We need to see what comes out of this meeting and at this stage we cannot speculate further. You have a follow up. Go ahead.

It's just a logistical question as, as you said, we don't know what will happen on, on Friday,

but do you already have a sense or timings on any consultations that could happen on Saturday,

any timings for, for phone calls or, or details on formats? Thank you. I do not have details.

Our understanding is indeed that President Trump will debrief

President Zelensky and European leaders following his bilateral meeting.

We don't have a specific time frame.

I can share with you on this.

It also depends on the timing of the meeting, length, etc.

Time differences, but our understanding is indeed that there will be a debrief. Go ahead. Hi AFP.

So if my understanding is correct,

the meeting will be at 9:30 p.m. our time Friday.

Can you walk us through exactly how President von der Leyen will be monitoring that meeting? Will she be in Brussels?

Does she already have precise costs scheduled? Anything you you can give us? Thanks.

I cannot confirm where the president will be, but of course wherever she is,

she is always in contact contact with her team.

She follows all matters of relevance for Europe, and of course this is a clear matter of relevance for Europe.

She is in constant contact with European leaders, President Zelensky, and as I just said.

She has had these calls with President Trump just yesterday as I was saying,

she will be debriefed by President Trump in our understanding,

but the exact format and and timing, I cannot confirm.

I believe it will be a call, but on the timings of it, I don't have details to share at the stage, Rosie, yes, go ahead.

AFP news agency, I just wanted to ask, maybe I've been thinking too much about the next Taylor Swift album,

but when you said US and NATO Europe to strengthen the common ground for Ukraine, what does that mean?

Just to understand, because I understand it's the idea of everyone being on the same page, but in terms of the details,

I just struggled with it and I don't know if it's just me having a summer brain. Thank you. Thanks for, for the question.

So, a number of outcomes came out of the meeting.

Yesterday, there was generally a common position that the first step,

should be a ceasefire.

The current line of contact is the starting point.

For negotiations this was also something that was mentioned already by European leaders the other day.

Also a clear outcome of the meeting is that it

is for Ukraine to decide on the matter of territorial integrity.

Furthermore, on security guarantees, Ukraine forces must be able to defend their country and of course

we welcome that the US president has said

that the US would participate to such security guarantees.

Last but not least, another point of general consensus was,

pressure on, on Russia from our side we know very well. That sanctions work. They're putting high pressure on Russia.

We have already 18 sanction packages implemented, as we have been saying already in the previous days.

We are currently working on a 19th package.

Also, we continue our military support and the scale

up of military investments in Ukraine and in Europe also.

We have provided extensive details in the past,

but of course colleagues stand ready to provide additional information if needed.

So basically we will continue to make all efforts to ensure that Ukraine is put in a position of strength in the negotiations with Russia if and when they take place,

and of course also has the capabilities to defend itself in the long term in the future. Other questions on this.

I see a number of hands raised.

Let's go to this side of the press room.

I've been taking questions from here yet.

Hello Matteo, the National Intelligence News Agency.

Regarding on this particular topic sanctions, some say there is a rumor that, the EU may be willing to revisit the sanctions,

in the case that Russia would agree on a ceasefire or perhaps something more substantial than a ceasefire. I would just like to know.

If there is this one is perhaps a proposal coming from some member states or there is a specific plan from the US,

the EU, the Commission,

something that is coming from Brussels as opposed to proposals from from the capitals. Thank you.

Let me be very clear, Europe will maintain pressure on Russia.

As I just said, we have already adopted 18 sanctions packages and we're working on the 19th.

Hopefully we will be able to adopt it next month, so that's a bit the time frame we have in mind.

And as I said, we know sanctions are working and we will maintain pressure on, on Russia. All other are pure speculations. This is a reality.

Europe continues to maintain full pressure on Russia. Go ahead.

Yeah, thank you, Clare for Japanese newspaper As Sin on the topic of sanctions.

I've seen reports that China has imposed sanctions on two Lithuanian banks as

a consequence of European sanctions on Chinese banks linked to the war in Ukraine.

Did you get a formal notification about it?

What's your reaction and are you in touch with Lithuania? Thanks.

This is a related question, but I, I would try to see if there are other questions more specifically on,

on the calls and after I will call my colleague Olof to, to join me for, for that answer specifically. Yes, go ahead. Yeah, just a brief one. Thank you very much, Arianna.

It's Rosie Birchard for DW this openness of the US to participate

in security guarantees is a policy shift from the US side.

Do you see this as a success, as a direct result of your diplomacy? Thank you. We it is something we welcome.

It doesn't matter exactly how we arrived to this point.

The important aspect is that the US has said that they are willing to do so,

and of course we very much welcome all efforts that will guarantee

the possibility for Ukraine to be in a solid position to defend itself.

So as I said, this is a very one of the positive outcomes of the meeting. Go ahead.

Hi, thanks Alina Samsonija for ARD German television.

Kind of a follow up, the tone after yesterday's calls was very positive, as you, also just stated,

but as we kind of know,

whoever speaks to Trump last has best chance of convincing him.

What if the results wished for will not be achieved on Friday?

How can the EU up the pressure even more?

Thanks indeed yesterday's call was a very good call.

This is in the words of the president, so I can only confirm that this was the perception from, from her side.

Let me also just reiterate that this is part of intensive contacts that have been taking place between administrations over the last weeks,

including at the level of national security advisers that this leader's call was of course.

The build up of many, many iterations and also let me just confirm that

we're in constant contact with the European partners and the Ukrainians on these matters.

The US is very well aware of the positions of Ukraine and Europe, both on the need for a just and lasting peace,

as well as on Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests, so we are sure that.

There is full awareness in this sense on the meeting, this is a bilateral meeting with two leaders.

What Europe is aiming at is it's actually welcoming any meaningful any effort that

will lead to meaningful negotiations for what is a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

We cannot, of course, speculate on the outcome of the meeting, what we can say, as I.

Saying is that Europe is completely prepared to maintain its full pressure on Russia as it has

been doing from the very beginning of this war and is prepared to do in the long term. Our support to Ukraine is unwavering.

This meeting tomorrow is of course a contact between two leaders.

We will see what comes out of it, but the intentions of Europe remain the same.

Other questions on this call, on the calls, otherwise,

I will give all of the possibility to answer on the banks. Jacob from Remote.

And apologies Anitta for having kept you here with me and then I see one question there, yeah, one second. Thanks, Arianna, Jacob from Handelsblatt.

Just to follow up on the, security guarantees, we also heard that, Trump said he, the US would be willing to participate in the security guarantees,

but as long as they're not part of NATO, is, is that something that you can confirm?

And on the other points where the US and EU agreed on yesterday's call, was the European perspective for Ukraine,

was that something that both agreed on or is President Trump not willing to,

to guarantee that Ukraine maintains its, it's, or that the West maintains its, door open to Ukraine. Thank you.

On the security guarantees, I think I have said it already, the what I can say is that the US has said that they would participate,

but on the details of this participation, it is for the US administration to answer,

so I'm not in a position to comment on on that. For what concerns Ukraine's European future.

Europe is extremely clear this is a choice of Ukraine.

Ukraine above all actually exclusively it is a matter that has to be for Ukraine to decide then of course if they wish to continue on the European path as they have reconfirmed time and time again,

Europe will support them and of course and it will be a sovereign choice of the member states to complete this process,

but the decision should and has to remain with Ukraine only. Other questions on this, go ahead. Mr Austin from Croatia.

Also on security guarantees, is the EU going to formally participate in

providing security guarantees in the sense of possible presence on the ground?

I'm asking this because so far the discussions have been in coalition of billing,

including the UK, France and.

Main European countries, but if you put this in the Council,

probably there might not be unanimity among Member States.

So what kind of guarantees is the EU prepared to offer formally? I think this is premature. We are not there yet.

What I can say is only reiterate what the leaders have said themselves in their statement of the beginning of the week,

and it is that Europe and its member states are ready to further

contribute to the security guarantees based on their respective competences and capabilities also.

Importantly, in line with international law and in full respect of the security and defense policy

of certain Member States and taking into account the security and defense interests of Member States.

So this is what the leaders have said at the beginning of the week,

and it would not be appropriate for me to now try

to interpret this wording in details that are premature at this stage. Sophie from remote.

Hi, yeah, it's Sophie here from the BBC.

So we're already hearing reports of a trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin.

Is Europe going to be pushing for a seat at this table for these talks?

So where we are now is that there will be a bilateral meeting tomorrow.

As I said, we support any Effort that can lead

to meaningful negotiations on adjusting and lasting peace for Ukraine.

Any consideration of what could happen after or not is a

speculation and at that stage we will not be commenting on it. Other questions on the call specifically?

No, I do not see hands raised. If I'm missing any, please move. Xenia, is it on this?

It's kind of on this you mentioned the the timeline for the 19 sanctions package for the first time,

I believe so.

I was just wondering whether You could provide us with any information on that. I have to try.

What is, what maybe you could reveal and some new feature

or a sector that the sanctions package is gonna go to. Thank you.

It is a very nice try and I really appreciate the, the sweetness of it, but I'm afraid that no,

we will maintain our usual practice of not commenting on sanctions packages that are under preparation.

And with this, I'll ask Olof to join me for the reply on