European leaders will gather with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House on Monday for talks with Donald Trump, in an effort to challenge a proposed US-backed peace plan that would see Russia claim further Ukrainian territory.
Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, and Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, will accompany Zelenskyy for discussions in the Oval Office.
Germany’s government said the talks would address “security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression”, including the maintenance of sanctions. The French presidency stated that the trip aimed to secure a “fair and lasting peace that safeguards Ukraine’s vital interests and Europe’s security”.
Ahead of the summit, the UK, France and Germany are due to hold a video call with other European allies on Sunday. The move follows reports that Trump intends to support a plan under which Ukraine would cede unoccupied territory to Russia in exchange for an end to the war.
According to the New York Times, Trump told European leaders he believed a peace deal could be reached if Ukraine agreed to relinquish the Donbas region, which Russian forces have failed to capture in more than three years of fighting. The paper reported that Vladimir Putin had told Trump he would halt further advances and freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia if Moscow gained control of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The Donbas, rich in coal and iron ore, has long been a focal point of the conflict.
Reuters reported that Russia is seeking 6,600 sq km of the region in return for withdrawing from 440 sq km in the Sumy and Kharkiv areas.
What Trump said
Trump has said he favours moving directly to a peace deal rather than beginning with a ceasefire, which he described in a social media post on Saturday as agreements that “often times do not hold up”. He has also threatened economic penalties on countries buying Russian oil if Moscow refuses a settlement, and ordered US bombers to fly over the Russian leader’s arrival in Alaska.
The proposal represents a sharp break with Ukraine and its European allies, who have consistently rejected any deal involving territorial concessions. A joint statement from European leaders said they were “ready to work with US President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support”, but stressed: “It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.”
While welcoming Trump’s stated intention to end the war, Ukrainian and European leaders fear that bypassing a ceasefire would give Moscow an advantage in negotiations.
Zelenskyy speaks
Zelenskyy, speaking after talks with Trump and European leaders, said: “The positions are clear. A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions. Killings must stop as soon as possible, the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the sky, as well as against our port infrastructure. All Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians must be released, and the children abducted by Russia must be returned.”
In a later post on social media, he added that skipping a ceasefire and moving straight to a peace deal “complicates the situation”.
