Zelensky and EU leaders in Washington for high-stakes talks with Trump

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and seven European leaders will meet US president Donald Trump at the White House on Monday afternoon to discuss a possible end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ahead of the talks, the European delegation and Zelenskyy held a preparatory meeting in Washington. Among those joining him are French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK prime minister Keir Starmer, Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte.

The White House meeting comes days after Trump’s encounter with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which failed to produce a ceasefire. 

On his social platform Truth Social, the US president suggested that Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately” by dropping ambitions for NATO membership and abandoning claims to Crimea.

“Russia must end this war it started”

Zelensky, who arrived in Washington late Sunday, has rejected such concessions, insisting that peace must be “lasting and just” and paired with firm Western security guarantees. “Russia must end this war it started,” he said. He hopes that a united front with the US and Europe will force Moscow to negotiate seriously.

European leaders, for their part, have underlined that decisions on territorial concessions rest solely with Kyiv. Their joint appearance in Washington is intended as a show of unity. However, concerns linger that Trump may push Ukraine towards painful compromises in pursuit of a rapid deal.

The meeting at the White House is scheduled for 12 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Brussels time).

^{Volodymyr Zelensky © Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP}