Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Washington alongside top European leaders for critical negotiations with US President Donald Trump on a potential peace deal to end the war with Russia.
The talks, set for Monday, come just days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. That meeting produced no ceasefire breakthrough but raised the prospect of “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine.
Zelensky, who has consistently rejected territorial concessions, is joined in Washington by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Finland.
Trump has already made clear that Ukraine will not join NATO and that reclaiming Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, is off the table.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote on his social platform, adding that “some things never change.”
Divisions Over Land and Security
According to US envoy Steve Witkoff, Russia has signaled “some concessions” regarding occupied territories, but key disputes remain over the Donetsk region, where fighting has been fiercest. Reports suggest Trump may back a Russian demand to retain control of areas not fully captured in the Donbas, while freezing the front line in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Such terms have alarmed European leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that any settlement that rewards Moscow would amount to “capitulation.” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski insisted that pressure should be applied to the aggressor, not Ukraine.
Still, Zelensky said he is open to dialogue, calling Washington’s proposed security guarantees “historic” while stressing that peace must be “quick and reliable.”
Concerns Over US Position
Since a tense Oval Office exchange in February, Trump has grown more critical of Putin, but critics say Washington has not backed up its rhetoric with tougher sanctions. Putin’s warm reception in Alaska—his first visit to the West since 2022—was viewed as a diplomatic win for Moscow.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine. Fresh attacks on Kharkiv and Sumy killed at least three people and wounded dozens over the weekend, underscoring the urgency of the Washington talks.
