European leaders are set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Washington on Monday, following President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon his push for a ceasefire after the recent summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Prior to the summit, Trump had expressed a strong desire for a ceasefire in Ukraine, a request that Ukraine and its European partners were not part of the discussions about. However, the lack of significant progress in their meeting led Trump to dismiss the prospect of an immediate ceasefire—an action that seems to align with Putin’s long-standing call for negotiations toward a peace agreement without a ceasefire.
Ukraine and its European allies have criticized this position, asserting that it serves to allow Russia more time to consolidate its military gains.
The group heading to Washington includes British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, all of whom aim to influence Trump regarding the issue. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is also visiting the White House, announced on X that she would meet with Zelensky in Brussels on Sunday, along with other European leaders via video link.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb are also making the trip, both of whom have previously had positive interactions with Trump.
The German government, while confirming Merz’s attendance, indicated it would underscore the importance of quickly reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine.
Upon returning from Alaska, Trump briefed Zelensky and the European leaders, later stating that “it was agreed by all that the most effective approach to ending the devastating war between Russia and Ukraine is to pursue a direct peace agreement.”
He contended that ceasefire agreements “often do not hold,” as he expressed on his Truth Social platform. Nonetheless, Zelensky seemed skeptical about this shift in approach, stating on Saturday that it “complicates the situation.”
He remarked that if Moscow lacks “the determination to follow a simple order to halt the attacks, convincing Russia to embrace something far more complex—long-term peaceful coexistence with its neighbors—might require considerable effort,” he conveyed on social media.
European leaders have expressed concerns regarding Trump’s outreach to Putin from the beginning. During his conversation with Zelensky and European officials, Trump reportedly showed support for Putin’s proposal for Russia to maintain control over two eastern Ukrainian regions while freezing the front lines in two others, according to an official briefed on the discussions.
According to the source, Putin “effectively demands that Ukraine relinquish Donbas,” comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. In return, Russian forces would cease their offensive in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which remain largely under Ukrainian control.
In September 2022, Russia claimed to have annexed all four Ukrainian regions, even though it does not fully control any of them. “The Ukrainian president declined to abandon Donbas,” said the source.
Trump also mentioned that the United States is willing to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, which Merz commended as “significant progress.” However, the European Union’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, criticized the outcomes of the summit, accusing Putin of seeking to prolong negotiations without showing any commitment to ending the violence.
“The harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war in the near future,” Kallas stated.
Focus now shifts to Zelensky’s discussions at the White House on Monday alongside European leaders. Their last Oval Office encounter in February ended in an extraordinary confrontation, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticizing Zelensky for not expressing sufficient gratitude for U.S. support.
In an interview with Fox News following his meeting with Putin, Trump suggested the responsibility lies with Zelensky to forge a peace agreement as they work toward a future trilateral summit with Putin. “It’s really up to President Zelensky to make it happen,” Trump commented.
Meanwhile, hostilities continue in Ukraine, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones against one another on Sunday. In his post-summit remarks in Alaska, Putin had cautioned Ukraine and European nations not to engage in any “behind-the-scenes maneuvers” that might disrupt what he termed “this emerging progress.”
