WASHINGTON — Ukraine’s fate could hinge on a high-stakes meeting at the White House as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives with an extraordinary group of European leaders to press U.S. President Donald Trump for unity in confronting Russia. The display of European solidarity comes just days after Trump’s solo summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where discussions outlined possible contours of peace but raised concerns about concessions.
Zelenskyy and his European allies are determined to avoid a repeat of the February Oval Office clash, when Trump scolded the Ukrainian president for not showing enough gratitude for U.S. military aid. This time, Zelenskyy is flanked by key leaders including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Their joint arrival underscores both the urgency of protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and the fragility of Western unity.
The stakes grew sharper after Trump signaled Sunday night that Ukraine must accept certain “realities,” insisting Crimea could not be returned and NATO membership was off the table. Zelenskyy pushed back, stressing that peace must be “lasting” and not a temporary pause that Russia could exploit, as it did after seizing Crimea in 2014. His post on social media expressed hope that with U.S. and European support, Ukraine could compel Moscow toward “true peace.”
Trump’s team has floated the idea of NATO-like security guarantees for Ukraine, short of full membership, as part of any deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said such an arrangement would be “a very big move” and confirmed talks with European allies could stretch for hours. Still, Trump’s claim that a ceasefire is unnecessary for negotiations — a position more aligned with Putin — has sparked unease in Kyiv and European capitals alike.
The challenge for Zelenskyy is balancing diplomacy with principle. Officials warn he risks being blamed for blocking peace talks if he refuses Putin’s sweeping demand for control of the entire Donbas, a concession he has repeatedly called unconstitutional and dangerous. Ukrainian leadership hopes to secure a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin to address the thorniest issues, including territory.
Meanwhile, Russia has shown no letup on the battlefield. Over the weekend, drone and missile strikes pounded Ukraine, killing at least six people in Kharkiv, including a toddler and a teenager. Attacks also struck Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, where 17 people were injured. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that of 140 drones launched overnight, 88 were intercepted or jammed, alongside several ballistic missiles.
For Zelenskyy, Monday’s meeting is more than a diplomatic summit — it is a test of whether Ukraine can count on a united transatlantic front or whether cracks in the alliance could embolden Moscow’s war aims. As Macron warned, “If we are weak with Russia today, we’ll be preparing the conflicts of tomorrow.”