Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is caught in a difficult situation. He must decide whether to risk upsetting President Donald Trump or agree to a quick peace deal that could end Russia’s war in Ukraine. The problem is that such a deal might force Ukraine to give up territory in exchange for vague security promises — leaving the door open for Russia to return stronger in the future.
After a recent summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump left little room for compromise. The meeting did not produce a ceasefire, adding pressure on Zelenskyy as he heads to Washington for talks with the U.S. president on Monday.
The stakes are high. Zelenskyy’s last White House visit in February ended with a heated argument with Trump and a brief pause in U.S. military aid. This time, several European leaders will join him, though their influence is limited and they do not always agree with one another.
The group hopes to learn more about what security guarantees the U.S. is ready to offer and whether Trump can organize a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. Among those traveling with him are NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, both of whom Trump has personal ties with.
Zelenskyy’s goals include:
- Understanding Putin’s demands
- Finding out the timing for a possible three-way meeting
- Pushing the U.S. toward stronger sanctions on Russia
European officials worry about how much Putin has influenced Trump. After Friday’s Alaska summit, Trump dropped his earlier demand for a ceasefire before negotiations could start and instead urged Zelenskyy to move quickly toward a peace plan.
“Putin has many demands,” Zelenskyy said Sunday at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels. “It will take time to go through them all — it’s impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons.” He added that a ceasefire is needed to work on a final deal.
Trump has hinted he is open to Putin’s demand that Ukraine give up parts of its eastern territory, which Russia has been trying to capture since 2014. Following his meeting with Putin, Trump told European leaders that the U.S. could support Ukraine with some form of security guarantees. However, it is still unclear what those guarantees would look like.
“We got to an agreement that the US and other nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to Ukraine,” said Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, in an interview with CNN, referring to NATO’s rule that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.
Trump is also under pressure. Since taking office in January, he has promised to quickly end Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its fourth year. But Russia has only stepped up its attacks, with June and July being the deadliest months in over three years, according to the United Nations.
Before the Alaska summit, Trump had warned of harsh penalties for Moscow if it refused a ceasefire. But after a warm reception for Putin, he dropped those threats. Instead, Trump began pushing for a “land swap” deal and urged Zelenskyy to accept it.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy restated his position: Ukraine will not give up territory. “Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia,” he said, noting that no signs of a three-way meeting have emerged.
Most Ukrainians agree with him, although support has weakened as counterattacks stall and losses mount. Many fear that giving up land would only invite future Russian aggression.
The Washington talks also matter for Zelenskyy at home. In late July, he faced protests after weakening anti-corruption institutions, forcing him to backtrack and restore their independence.
Divisions between the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe further complicate the talks. Trump has claimed Russia could take all of Ukraine, even though Moscow has captured less than 20% of the country despite massive losses. European leaders fear that if Russia gains more, it could expand the war.
“It is important that America agrees to work with Europe to provide security guarantees for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said Sunday. “But there are no details how it’ll work and what America’s role will be, what Europe’s role will be, what the EU can do. And this is our main task.”
