Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with US President Donald Trump on Monday in a pivotal first encounter following their previous contentious exchange earlier this year, this time accompanied by key European allies. Notable leaders including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will join the discussions aimed at finding a resolution to the ongoing war with Russia.
The diplomatic meeting comes in the wake of Trump’s recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which reportedly shifted the US approach from demanding a ceasefire to seeking a long-term peace agreement. A US envoy indicated that Putin may have shown willingness towards a NATO-like security pact for Ukraine, prompting Trump to announce "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!" on his Truth Social platform.
Among those expected in Washington are French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, though their attendance at the White House remains uncertain.
The swift gathering of such high-profile heads of state from Europe for a crisis meeting underscores the urgency of the circumstances, particularly given past tensions and the unresolved nature of the conflict. Diplomatic sources suggest that there are concerns about Trump pushing Zelensky towards accepting terms, especially after the Ukrainian president was excluded from last week's Trump-Putin discussions.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the notion that Zelensky might be coerced into a peace deal, labeling it as "stupid media narrative."
NATO leaders appear eager to avoid a repeat of Zelensky's previous visit to the Oval Office, which concluded abruptly following a heated argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, damaging US-Ukraine relations. Since then, European officials have worked behind the scenes to mend these ties, with Zelensky being advised to adopt deal-making language to engage more effectively with Trump.
In recent months, Ukraine has taken steps to strengthen its partnership with the US, signing a minerals agreement that benefits American investment and engaging in direct discussions between the two leaders.
Despite the ongoing discussions and optimism for progress, the battlefield situation remains fraught, with Russian forces continuing their advance and occupying significant portions of Ukraine since their full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
A virtual summit held on Sunday included Zelensky and other major European leaders from the coalition of nations committed to establishing peace in Ukraine, with Macron emphasizing the necessity of a unified front for the upcoming talks with Trump.
The dialogue has been further fueled by comments from the US envoy, who described potential "game-changing" security agreements that could see US and European support for Ukraine against future aggression in a manner akin to NATO's Article 5 protections. However, Zelensky underscored the constitutional limitations on territorial concessions, stating such discussions could only occur directly between Ukraine and Russia in a trilateral summit involving the US.
While optimism surrounds the discussions, Secretary Rubio cautioned against expecting an immediate resolution, stating that "we're still a long ways off" from ending Europe's deadliest conflict in decades. The stakes remain high as the leaders prepare for perhaps one of the most consequential meetings in recent history.
