Ukraine’s future on the line? Zelensky and Trump to meet in Washington on Monday; European leaders invited - All you need to know
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Ukraine’s future on the line? Zelensky and Trump to meet in Washington on Monday; European leaders invited - All you need to know")
Ukraine’s future on the line? Zelensky and Trump to meet in Washington on Monday Photograph: (AFP)
European leaders were invited to a White House meeting with Trump and Zelensky after Trump’s talks with Putin. Zelensky confirmed he’ll attend to discuss ending the war and ongoing violence.
European leaders have been asked to attend a White House meeting on Monday with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the New York Times, which cited two senior European officials. The talks follow Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Washington described the meeting as showing “great progress” but admitted no breakthrough was reached to end the war in Ukraine.
Also read: Trump flip-flops on Ukraine again: US president backs plan to cede land to Russia for peace in Kyiv
Ukraine caught in the middle after Trump-Putin talks
After the inconclusive Alaska meeting, Kyiv was left trying to understand what exactly had been discussed between Trump and Putin. Zelensky later revealed he had a “long and substantive” call with Trump, joined by European leaders, where “the main points” were covered. Zelensky confirmed he would travel to Washington on Monday “to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.”
Trump shifts stance on ceasefire demand
But while Zelensky hinted at cautious optimism, Trump complicated matters with a post on social media. He urged a direct peace agreement without first securing a cease-fire, insisting Zelensky and European leaders had agreed to the idea. This marked a major shift from the principles agreed upon earlier in the week, when Trump, Zelensky, and European allies had vowed not to enter peace talks until a ceasefire was in place. Russia has long pushed for direct peace talks that could include territorial concessions, without halting its military operations in the meantime.
Zelensky treads carefully on peace plan
In response, Zelensky avoided directly contradicting Trump. “We need to achieve a real peace that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions,” he said. But he added that “the killings must stop as soon as possible, and the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the air, as well as against our port infrastructure.” His comments suggested that Kyiv still sees a ceasefire as the first step towards peace.
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Europe avoids clash with Trump
European leaders did not repeat their earlier demand for a ceasefire in their weekend statements, though they did not explicitly drop it either. The omission appeared to be an effort to avoid clashing publicly with Trump. Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni said Trump had also proposed new “security guarantees” for Ukraine, modelled on NATO’s collective defence principle, which would commit allies to act if Russia attacked again.
Territorial concessions back in play
Trump also told Fox News that “territorial swaps” were among the points “largely agreed on” during discussions. He has repeatedly suggested that concessions would be necessary for a deal, a position that Zelensky has resisted. However, Zelensky has not dismissed the idea completely, telling reporters this week that land swaps are “a very complex issue that cannot be separated from security guarantees for Ukraine.”
