European Leaders To Join Zelenskyy During His Meeting With Trump In Washington Today

Last Updated:August 18, 2025, 12:12 IST

Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week in hopes of a peace deal, after which the Russian side has reportedly agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, as the Republican leader presses Ukraine to accept a peace agreement to halt the more than three-year-old conflict, Europe’s deadliest in 80 years.

This came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a meeting of allies on Sunday to bolster backing for Ukraine, hoping for Kyiv to get robust security guarantees. Zelenskyy will meet Trump on Monday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been an admirer of Trump’s policies, according to Reuters.

During Sunday’s meeting, European leaders projected unity, stressing that discussions over territory could take place without Kyiv’s involvement and clear arrangements to safeguard the rest of Ukraine’s land, while welcoming US talks of security guarantees.

A joint communique released by Britain, France and Germany after the meeting said their leaders were ready “to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces.”

Zelenskyy Hails ‘Historic’ US Security Guarantees

Meanwhile, Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff said Russian President Vladimir Putin – who held talks with Trump in Alaska last week – agreed to allow “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine from the United States as part of a potential peace deal.

“We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing,” he told CNN, describing the security guarantee as an “Article 5″ type protection against further Russian invasion. Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty enshrines the principle of collective defence, in which an attack on any member is considered an attack on all.

ALSO READ: Putin Agreed To NATO-Like Security Guarantees For Ukraine In Meeting With Trump, Claims Witkoff

Furthermore, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s envoy to international organisations in Vienna, said Russia agreed that any peace agreement on Ukraine must provide security guarantees to Kyiv, but expected Moscow to get similar guarantees in return.

In a statement, Zelenskyy hailed the “historic” US security guarantees. “This is a historic decision that the United States is ready to take part in security guarantees for Ukraine. Security guarantees, as a result of our joint work, must really be very practical, delivering protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must be developed with Europe’s participation,” he said.

Ukraine May Have To Recognise Territorial Losses: Macron

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Ukraine may ultimately have to recognise the loss of some of its territories as part of a potential peace settlement with Russia. “As part of a truce, a ceasefire or a peace deal, the country may recognise the loss of territories,” Macron said in a video address.

Macron stressed that “after three and a half years of conflict and so many victims, no country will accept even actual territorial losses if it has no guarantees that the rest of its territory will be protected.”

This came after Trump pushed for Ukraine to make a deal to end the war, hinting at some territorial concessions, as “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that both sides would have to make concessions to reach a peace deal.

During his meeting with Trump, Putin reportedly made an offer to Trump to halt fighting along current front-line positions in return for Kyiv ceding full control of the Donetsk region. However, Zelenskyy turned down the proposal.

Top Trump officials told Reuters that the fate of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region – which is already mostly under Russian control – was on the line, while some sort of defensive pact was also on the table. The Donbas, short for “Donets Basin”, is made up of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

It is the country’s industrial and mining powerhouse, known for its high-quality coal reserves, steel production and dense urban centres. Before the war, the region accounted for about a third of Ukraine’s population.

(with inputs from agencies)

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More

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