Zelenskyy arrives in Washington alongside European leaders amid unease over Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin, where demands for major territorial concessions and vague security guarantees left Kyiv facing tough choices.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington to have talks with President Donald Trump on Monday, as he faces intense pressure from the U.S. to strike a rapid peace deal with Russia that could force Kyiv into painful territorial concessions.
In a series of Truth Social posts on Monday, Trump said Zelenskyy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” adding there would be “NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE” and “no getting back Obama-given Crimea.”
He also boasted of hosting “so many European Leaders at one time” at the White House and lashed out at “Fake News” outlets for portraying his Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin as a defeat.
The meeting with Zelenskyy comes just after Trump’s talks with Putin in Anchorage, a city in Alaska, where the Russian leader demanded that Ukraine cede the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk, the industrial Donbas region that Moscow has sought to control since 2014, while freezing battle lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Russia might also withdraw from small pockets in northeastern Ukraine, but the outcome would still leave Moscow with far more than it has been able to seize militarily, Bloomberg reported.
Trump, who dropped his earlier insistence on a ceasefire before negotiations, told allies he wanted a deal struck quickly, ideally within a week, and that he would push Zelenskyy toward a direct meeting with Putin.
European diplomats, however, regard the timeline as unrealistic and voiced frustration that Putin appeared to gain the most from the Alaska summit.
Zelenskyy, speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels before departing, warned that “it is impossible to go do this [Putin’s demands] under the pressure of weapons” and insisted a ceasefire was needed first.
He has also reiterated that Ukraine will not agree to trade land, a stance backed by most Ukrainians, even as public support has softened amid heavy casualties.
In a X post late Sunday, Zelenskyy confirmed his tryst with Trump. The Ukrainian president said, “Tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump. Tomorrow we are also speaking with European leaders. I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation.”
“Now, our soldiers have successes in Donetsk and Sumy regions. I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance.”
European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, are joining Zelenskyy in Washington to seek clarity on what security guarantees the U.S. is willing to offer.
“Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has floated “Article 5-like” language, referring to NATO’s mutual-defense clause, though details remain vague. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said any such framework would require American intelligence and logistics to be effective.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to temper expectations, saying on Fox News that “we’re still a long ways off” from an agreement, even as Trump pressed for urgency.
French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned that giving in to Moscow’s terms would only “prepare the conflicts of tomorrow” and could extend Russian influence further into Europe.
The stakes are high. Russia has been making slow but steady gains in the east, while Europe struggles to fill the gap left by Trump’s scaled-back U.S. support.
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