High-ranking politicians from Europe, including Chancellor Merz, will also attend the meeting between Trump and Zelensky in Washington. In Brussels, the"Coalition of the Willing" is preparing for the meeting with Zelensky.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and other leading European politicians will accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his visit to Washington on Monday.
Among those present will be EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. NATO Secretary General Rutte will also participate in the talks, NATO announced.
Von der Leyen wrote on the online service X,"At the request of President Zelensky, I will attend the meeting with President Trump and other leading European politicians at the White House tomorrow." The Élysée Palace said Macron was attending the meeting to continue the coordination work between Europeans and the US – with the goal of achieving a just and lasting peace. This peace must preserve Europe's security and Ukraine's vital interests.
Security guarantees and territorial issues
The trip will serve as an"information exchange" with US President Donald Trump following his summit with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, explained German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius. Merz will discuss the status of peace efforts with the heads of state and government and underscore Germany's interest in a swift peace agreement in Ukraine, Kornelius added.
The talks will include security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. This also includes maintaining the pressure of sanctions.
Zelenskyj in Brussels at the"Coalition of the Willing"
Zelenskyy is now in Brussels, where he participated in a video conference with von der Leyen of the"Coalition of the Willing." The so-called "Coalition of the Willing," which includes Germany, France, and Great Britain, discussed its tactics ahead of Monday's meeting in Washington. The Europeans want to prevent decisions from being made to the detriment of Ukraine.
At a press conference with the President of the European Commission beforehand, the Ukrainian president called for security guarantees modeled on NATO to end the war. The guarantee must function like NATO's Article 5, which refers to the military assistance clause, according to which other states will intervene in support of an attacked country. Ukraine's EU membership would also be a guarantee for the country's security, Zelenskyy said.
According to von der Leyen, Ukraine can count on US participation in a protection pledge similar to that of NATO states."We welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine," said von der Leyen.
Bilateral talks between Trump and Zelensky
Later, Zelenskyy also said that he agreed with von der Leyen, who had described the term ceasefire as irrelevant. What was important, von der Leyen had said, was that the war ended.
The Ukrainian president plans to speak with US President Trump in Washington on Monday about a possible end to the war in Ukraine. According to government sources in Berlin, Trump wanted to speak with Zelenskyy alone first, with the Europeans joining later. On Friday, Trump and Putin met in Alaska. The meeting ended without any concrete results.
