The White House meeting comes after a tense encounter in February when Trump berated Zelensky in front of US Vice-President J.D. Vance, underscoring why Kyiv is now bringing allies to strengthen its hand
A powerful line-up of European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on Monday for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump, aimed at countering Moscow’s battlefield momentum and shaping the path to peace.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she would attend “at the request of President Zelensky,” alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The coordinated visit follows Trump’s separate summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Moscow suggested a NATO-style security guarantee for Ukraine as part of a deal. Kyiv and its allies dismissed the idea as a ploy to cement Russian gains.
European leaders stressed unity before heading to Washington, vowing to back Zelensky against Trump’s controversial land-swap proposal. “If we show weakness today in front of Russia, we are laying the ground for future conflicts,” Macron said.
The White House meeting comes after a tense encounter in February when Trump berated Zelensky in front of US Vice-President J.D. Vance, underscoring why Kyiv is now bringing allies to strengthen its hand.
Ukraine has ruled out territorial concessions, citing constitutional limits and public opposition. “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” Zelensky reiterated, rejecting Putin’s demand for full control of Donetsk in exchange for halting offensives in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned against expectations of an imminent breakthrough. “We’re not at the precipice of a peace agreement,” he said, though talks have identified “potential areas of agreement.”
For Kyiv, Monday’s gathering is about safety in numbers — projecting solidarity with Europe and pushing back against Moscow’s demands, even as the war grinds through its fourth year.
