A long-awaited summit in Paris is aiming to find a way to end the war in Ukraine, after five years and 14,000 lives lost in a conflict that has emboldened the Kremlin and reshaped European geopolitics.

The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France are holding a series of meetings at the Elysée Palace to try to revive a 2015 peace deal that’s gone largely ignored, as Ukrainian soldiers and Russia- backed separatists continue to exchange fire across WWI-style trenches along the front line slicing through eastern Ukraine.

A major breakthrough is unlikely, but whatever happens, the summit is the biggest test yet for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who won the presidency this year in a landslide – partly on promises to end the war.

Yesterday’s summit notably includes the first face-to-face meeting between Mr Zelensky, a comic actor and political novice, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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While Mr Zelensky still enjoys broad public support, he has been embarrassed by the scandal around his discussions with US President Donald Trump that unleashed an impeachment inquiry. The US is an important military backer for Ukraine, which is hugely out-gunned by Russia.

Some Ukrainians feared Mr Zelensky would surrender too much to Mr Putin, and around 100 opposition activists set up protest tents outside government buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. Activists are offering free food and building a stage in front of Mr Zelenskiy’s office, with banners reading “No to capitulation!”

“Russia started the war, and any negotiations with the aggressor elicit our suspicion and vigilance, especially when we’re being forced into peace on Russian terms,” one of the protesters, 21-year-old student Igor Derbunov, said.

“Any secret agreements with the Kremlin behind our backs will lead to protests all over Ukraine,” said Denis Krutinskiy (36), an ex-serviceman.

Russia wants to use the summit to increase pressure on Mr Zelensky to fulfil the 2015 Minsk peace accord, which gives the rebel-held regions more autonomy in exchange for ending the fighting.

Mr Zelensky wants to tweak the timeline laid out in the Minsk accord, which calls for Ukraine to be able to regain control of its border with Russia only after local elections are held in the separatist regions.

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