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European leaders will accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington on Monday for a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump as international efforts intensify to broker an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Washington summit follows Trump's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska that failed to produce the immediate ceasefire the U.S. president had initially sought. Trump has since shifted his approach, now pursuing a comprehensive peace agreement rather than a temporary halt to hostilities.
"BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!" Trump posted Sunday on his Truth Social platform, though he provided no details about the developments.
The delegation traveling to Washington represents what European leaders call a "coalition of the willing," including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubbs will also attend.
The European leaders held a video meeting Sunday to coordinate their joint position ahead of the Washington summit.
A key element emerging from the diplomatic efforts involves U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine. Steve Witkoff, Trump's Russia envoy, said Sunday that Trump and Putin had agreed on "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine during their Alaska meeting.
However, Zelenskyy rejected the notion of Russia providing such assurances, speaking during a Brussels visit hosted by von der Leyen.
"What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin's thoughts, because Putin will not give any security guarantees," Zelenskyy said.
Von der Leyen endorsed the U.S. proposal for security guarantees modeled on NATO's Article 5 collective defense provision but operating separately from the alliance.
"We welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine, and the coalition of the willing, including the European Union, is ready to do its share," von der Leyen said.
The peace talks face significant obstacles over territorial control. According to an official briefed on Trump's discussions with Zelenskyy and European leaders, the U.S. president expressed support for a Putin proposal involving territorial "concessions."
Under the Russian proposal, Moscow would gain full control of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in exchange for freezing the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where major cities remain under Ukrainian control.
"The Ukrainian president refused to leave Donbas," the source said, referring to the eastern area comprising Donetsk and Lugansk.
Russia claimed to have annexed all four Ukrainian regions in September 2022, despite not fully controlling any of them militarily.
Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Putin's willingness to engage in meaningful negotiations, saying he saw "no sign" the Kremlin leader was prepared for a three-way summit with Trump and himself.
European leaders have voiced concerns about being excluded from Trump's direct outreach to Putin, particularly given Putin's demands that Ukraine abandon its aspirations for EU and NATO membership.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Sunday of potential "consequences," including new sanctions on Russia, if peace negotiations fail to produce results.
Witkoff expressed cautious optimism about Monday's Washington meeting: "I'm hopeful that we have a productive meeting on Monday, we get to real consensus, we're able to come back to the Russians and push this peace deal forward and get it done."
As diplomatic efforts continue, fighting persists on the ground, with both Ukrainian and Russian forces launching drone attacks Sunday.
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