Zelenskyy to meet Trump with European partners

Zelenskyy travels to Washington with UK and European leaders for a high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump.

Zelenskyy Joins Starmer at White House for Pivotal Talks with Trump

Sir Keir Starmer will accompany Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington tomorrow for a crunch meeting with Donald Trump. He will join European leaders Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Meloni and Friedrich Merz after the United States extended invitations. Also set to attend are Ursula von der Leyen and what the article calls NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, underscoring the scale of political backing behind Zelenskyy.

The context is sharpened by reports that Vladimir Putin made demands to take control of Donetsk and Luhansk as a condition for ending the war. The talks in Washington are framed as a moment to push Ukraine into the diplomacy orbit, with a possible three-way meeting with Putin discussed as a potential outcome, though Kyiv has dismissed territorial concessions as unacceptable. European leaders describe the gathering as a way to coordinate a future role for Zelenskyy in negotiations and to keep up pressure on Russia while safeguarding Ukraine’s defense lines.

The meeting signals a deliberate push to project Western unity around Ukraine, but it also raises questions about how far allies will go in shaping a peace process. Starmer’s presence alongside Zelenskyy highlights how domestic politics in allied capitals will shape Europe’s posture toward Moscow, especially as local publics weigh the costs of continued support. The risk is that high-profile diplomacy without clear, enforceable steps could look like coordination over rhetoric rather than a solid plan, leaving Kyiv exposed to unpredictable shifts in Washington and other capitals.

In this moment, the coalition of the willing depends on clear milestones, not mere symbolism. If talks yield concrete timelines, verifiable concessions, and robust defense guarantees for Ukraine, the alliance could endure. If not, public scrutiny could grow and undermine political capital across Europe and the Atlantic. The balance between signaling resolve and delivering results will define how credible this coalition remains in the months ahead.

Highlights

Diplomacy is a process, not a moment.