World Desk

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, joined by top European leaders in a rare show of unity aimed at pushing for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The high-level delegation includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The coordinated move comes after European leaders were excluded from Trump’s recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Concerned about Moscow’s potential aggression, they are determined to ensure Ukraine’s security remains a priority.

This show of diplomatic solidarity follows a tense February meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, where the U.S. president criticized the Ukrainian leader over military aid. The European leaders now seek to avoid a repeat of that episode and present a united front.

Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine that would benefit all of Europe. “We all equally want to end this war quickly and reliably,” he said in a social media post upon arrival in Washington.

However, Trump, in a post on Sunday night, appeared to shift the pressure onto Zelenskyy, suggesting that Ukraine could end the war immediately if it chose to and hinted that Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, is off the table. He also reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO.

Zelenskyy responded by stressing that peace must be lasting and not temporary, as was the case after the 2014 Crimea annexation, which he said only encouraged further Russian aggression.

The Alaska summit outlined potential frameworks for peace, though it remains unclear whether either Zelenskyy or Putin will accept them. Trump’s camp floated the idea of NATO-like security assurances for Ukraine, a stance favored by many European leaders but opposed by Putin in the context of Ukraine joining NATO outright.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that while a ceasefire is still possible, a broader peace deal is the ultimate goal. Trump, meanwhile, declared on social media that “big progress” had been made with Russia, despite backlash over the lack of clarity from the Alaska summit.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, indicated that allies are discussing a formal security commitment to defend Ukraine in case of future attacks. The format of such an agreement is still under negotiation.

Monday’s meeting could be especially challenging for Zelenskyy, who is under pressure to avoid appearing as an obstacle to peace. Ukrainian officials say Zelenskyy will continue to reject any peace deal that involves conceding the entire Donbas region, citing constitutional limits and long-term security risks.

Ukraine has proposed a trilateral summit involving Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy to directly address the most sensitive issues, including territorial disputes.

In the months leading up to this meeting, Zelenskyy has worked to rebuild ties with Trump, especially after a strained encounter in February. A brief meeting in April at the Vatican helped ease tensions, and Trump has since shown signs of softening toward Ukraine’s peace terms.

European allies have also maintained cooperation with Trump, including a recent agreement for NATO countries to purchase U.S. arms for Ukraine.

Ahead of the talks, France’s Macron warned that yielding to Russia would embolden further conflict. “If we are weak with Russia today, we’ll be preparing the conflicts of tomorrow,” he said.

Meanwhile, Russia continues its assaults on Ukraine. A drone strike on Kharkiv Sunday night killed six civilians, including a toddler and a teenager. Twenty others were injured, according to local officials.

Missile and drone attacks were also reported in Sumy, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia, where 17 people were wounded. Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted or jammed 88 of the 140 drones launched overnight.