European leaders, including those from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, have expressed their intention to accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington. This gathering aims to show support for Zelensky as Trump is urging Ukraine to agree to a swift peace settlement.
A day prior to the discussions with Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene a meeting with Kyiv’s allies to bolster Zelensky’s position. Their main focus will be to secure robust security guarantees for Ukraine with an American role included.
Following his encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday in Alaska, Trump is applying pressure on Zelensky to reach an agreement. Sources indicate that Trump and Putin discussed propositions where Moscow might relinquish small areas of Ukrainian territory in exchange for Kyiv conceding larger expanses elsewhere.
Accepting some of Putin’s terms could prove extremely challenging for Ukraine, signaling a potential for tense negotiations to wrap up the fiercest conflict in Europe in the last 80 years, which has resulted in over a million casualties.
European allies are eager to assist Zelensky in avoiding a repeat of the last meeting that took place in the White House back in February.
That meeting ended poorly, with Zelensky facing public reprimands from Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, who accused him of ingratitude and disrespect. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will also travel to Washington.
The German government released a statement regarding the Washington visit, highlighting that discussions will cover topics such as security guarantees, regional issues, and ongoing support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.
The statement further noted the continued emphasis on pursuing sanctions. Macron, Merz, and Starmer will hold an online meeting for what is termed the “Alliance of the Willing,” a coalition of Kyiv’s supporters.
European powers want to facilitate a tripartite meeting involving Trump, Putin, and Zelensky to ensure that Ukraine has a place at the negotiating table to determine its future. They are also seeking strong security guarantees for Ukraine that involve the U.S. and the ability to escalate pressure on Moscow if necessary.
An European governmental official stated, “They will clarify what they view as essential regarding security guarantees: what they can do themselves, what falls under a coalition of volunteers, and what they anticipate from the United States.”
The official added, “In reality, they expect a very strong commitment.” Meanwhile, Putin has briefed his close ally, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, about the talks in Alaska and also communicated with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov engaged in phone discussions yesterday with his Turkish and Hungarian counterparts.
Hungary has been among the EU member states opposing bloc efforts to isolate Putin since the comprehensive invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Turkey is striving to maintain open diplomatic channels with both Ukraine and Russia.
Trump has stated that Ukraine needs to reach an agreement to end the conflict with Moscow because “Russia is a very powerful force, and that is not the case.”
Following the summit in Alaska with Putin, a source indicated that Trump called Zelensky and revealed that the Kremlin leader had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv fully relinquished Donetsk, a key industrial area and a primary target for Moscow. The source noted that Zelensky rejected this demand. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including approximately three-quarters of the Donetsk region, which it first entered in 2014.
Trump also expressed agreement with Putin on the necessity of pursuing a peace agreement without a preceding ceasefire, a demand made by Ukraine and its European allies. This reflects a shift from his stance prior to the summit when he indicated dissatisfaction unless a ceasefire agreement could be reached.
Zelensky has remarked that Russia’s reluctance to halt hostilities complicates efforts to establish lasting peace. He posted on social media, “Stopping the killings is essential to ending the war.”