Key EU leaders to join Trump–Zelenskyy peace talks in Washington

Reuters
Reuters

Top European leaders will travel to Washington on Monday to join U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in critical talks aimed at ending the war with Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend the White House meeting, officials confirmed on Sunday.

The talks follow Trump’s closed-door summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, which the former U.S. leader described as a step towards a possible deal.

“Now it’s really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done,” Trump told Fox News. “And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit, but it’s up to President Zelenskyy.”

Putin said after the three-hour meeting that he and Trump had reached an “understanding,” though details remain undisclosed.

Germany described the Washington talks as an “information exchange,” with Chancellor Merz expected to focus on peace terms, territorial issues, and maintaining pressure on Moscow.

“Chancellor Merz will discuss the current peace efforts with the heads of state and government and underscore Germany's interest in a swift peace agreement,” government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said.

Von der Leyen said she would travel to the U.S. at Zelenskyy’s request, after hosting the Ukrainian leader in Brussels on Sunday and attending a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” – a group of countries backing Ukraine’s defence.

In Helsinki, the Finnish presidency confirmed that Stubb would attend the meeting “on peace in Ukraine.” The Elysee Palace and Italian news agency ANSA also confirmed the participation of Macron and Meloni respectively.

The expanded diplomatic effort underscores growing pressure on Kyiv to consider a negotiated settlement with Moscow. However, key sticking points remain, including Russia’s territorial demands and the absence of a ceasefire.

Zelenskyy rejected Putin’s reported proposal to freeze current front lines in exchange for Ukraine ceding all of Donetsk province, which Russia partially occupied in 2014 and now claims almost entirely.

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