A cadre of Europe’s top leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he travels to Washington, D.C., on Monday for a meeting with President Donald Trump. However, Kyiv and Washington are sending mixed messages on the ultimate goal of the negotiations to bring Russia’s 3 ½-year war in Ukraine to an end.
Zelenskyy’s European entourage is headed for Washington
A group of European leaders will travel to Washington, D.C., on Monday in a show of support for Zelenskyy, who will be meeting with Trump to discuss the end of hostilities between Kyiv and Moscow. The meeting comes three days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
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According to The Kyiv Independent, the coalition of European leaders includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
That group, led by Zelenskyy, spoke with Trump on the phone following his meeting with Putin in Alaska.
Zelenskyy reiterates the ‘necessity of a ceasefire’
Trump’s meeting with Putin changed his position on whether a path to peace begins with a ceasefire. Zelenskyy has long advocated for a ceasefire first.
In a Truth Social post following his call with the European coalition, Trump wrote, “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
However, on Sunday, Zelenskyy disagreed with that proposal. The Ukrainian leader had traveled to Brussels to meet with von der Leyen, and wrote on X that they had “agreed on the necessity of a ceasefire for subsequent diplomatic steps.”
Citing Russia’s history of disregarding a set of 1994 security guarantees when Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal, as well as the 2014 Minsk Accords, Mikhail Alexseev, a political science professor at San Diego State University, said the difference between a ceasefire and a peace agreement “can be semantic rather than substantive.”
“Given Russia’s record, it scarcely makes any difference if any cessation of hostilities comes as a result of a ceasefire or a peace agreement,” Alexseev told Straight Arrow News. “The crux of the matter is whether Putin will face credible constraints and costs in case he breaks the deal.”
More details about Alaska summit emerge
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said the president changed his stance on a peace agreement over a ceasefire because of the substantial progress made in Alaska. “We made so much progress at this meeting with regard to all the other ingredients necessary for a peace deal that we, that President Trump pivoted to that place,” Witkoff said.
Part and parcel of that progress was reportedly Ukraine earning security guarantees akin to either NATO or EU membership. Putin had historically opposed such an agreement, but on Sunday, U.S. officials said the possibility was discussed during Friday’s summit in Alaska.
“We got to an agreement that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee,” Witkoff said. He added that it “was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree” to such a proposal.
Article 5 rests on the principle of “collective defense,” and essentially states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all. The EU leaders at Zelenskyy’s back have already adopted a name –– the “Coalition of the Willing” –– signaling their intent to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, regardless of an active war with Russia.
“Putin will need to see changes in military posture,” if there is to be a lasting peace, Alexseev said. That includes “a large deployment of U.S. and allied troops right on the borders of Ukraine, a significant international peacekeeping or ‘tripwire’ force within Ukraine, and also most likely some form of closed skies provisions to beef up Ukraine’s air defenses.”
Going into Monday
Politico spoke with several officials who suggested the coalition’s decision to travel to Washington with Zelenskyy is, in part, an attempt to avoid a repeat of Zelenskyy’s ill-fated Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February.
“It is clear that the outcome of the Alaska summit has risen concerns in Europe, as Trump seems to have bought a large portion of Putin’s argument,” Camille Grand, a former top NATO official, told Politico. “The meeting is not viewed as a total disaster, but Europeans are definitely worried about the direction of travel. Hence the effort to avoid another drama during Zelenskyy’s upcoming visit.”
Alexseev said he expects that Trump will “probe Zelenskyy’s resolve” during their meeting on Monday –– a resolve that will be that much stronger with the unbridled support of so many European leaders in tow.
“[Zelenskyy’s] best hope is to convey steadfast resolve that –– while some territorial compromises are possible –– Ukraine will not cede land without a fight that Russia doesn’t yet occupy, even if the U.S. cuts off all support,” Alexseev said. “My expectation is that Trump will probe Zelenskyy’s resolve and will apply more pressure if he finds this resolve wanting. But if he sees his resolve as genuine, he might turn around and put more pressure on Russia, since without the cessation of hostilities it would be hard for him to reopen Russia for business.”
Lasting peace ‘still a long ways off’
Despite the progress and previously unknown breakthroughs Witkoff discussed on CNN, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, doing his own round of Sunday interviews, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that any potential end to the war is “still a long ways off.”
“We’re not at the precipice of a peace agreement,” Rubio reportedly said. “We made progress in the sense that we identified potential areas of agreement, but there remains some big areas of disagreement. So we’re still a long ways off.”
