Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, following a high-stakes summit between Mr. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that ended without an agreement.
The Alaska summit, billed as a potential breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, concluded on Saturday with no ceasefire or peace framework. According to U.S. officials, discussions stalled after Mr. Putin pressed for full control of the Donetsk region ,an offer President Zelensky has firmly rejected.
During the talks, President Trump softened his earlier insistence on an immediate ceasefire, instead urging a direct path toward a long-term peace deal. The move has raised concerns in Kyiv and among European allies, who fear Washington may be edging closer to Moscow’s negotiating position.
In a follow-up call after the summit, Mr. Trump briefed Mr. Zelensky and several European leaders on the discussions, telling them that Mr. Putin wanted “more than Ukraine can accept at this stage.”
The White House confirmed that Mr. Zelensky will hold face-to-face talks with Mr. Trump on Monday. The agenda is expected to include security guarantees for Ukraine, prospects for fresh negotiations, and possible Western-backed peacekeeping arrangements.
European governments, meanwhile, have expressed alarm at any suggestion that Ukraine could be pressed into territorial concessions. NATO members are preparing coordinated statements of support for Ukraine’s sovereignty ahead of the Washington talks.
What Lies Ahead
Analysts say the meeting could prove decisive for Ukraine’s war strategy. While Kyiv has welcomed U.S. engagement, officials there stress that any peace agreement must preserve the country’s territorial integrity.
“The choice is between a just peace and an imposed peace,” one Ukrainian diplomat said on Sunday. “We will not trade land for temporary calm.”
With no breakthrough from the Trump–Putin summit and battlefield clashes continuing, Monday’s talks in Washington are being closely watched across Europe and beyond.
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