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European and NATO leaders will accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Sunday, in a show of unity designed to prevent Kyiv from being sidelined in peace efforts with Russia.
The decision reflects unease in European capitals after Trump’s Friday summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin — a meeting from which Zelensky was excluded and that raised fears the U.S. president may pressure Ukraine into a peace deal on Moscow’s terms.
Von der Leyen wrote on X that “at the request of President Zelenskyy, I will join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow.” Within hours, other leaders followed suit, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
A Coordinated Move
The swift cascade of announcements underscored Europe’s determination to insert itself into Trump’s self-styled peace-brokering effort after the Alaska summit. By traveling together to Washington, European leaders are signaling that Ukraine will not negotiate alone — and that Europe will insist on having a direct say in any potential framework.
The unusual grouping also appears aimed at avoiding a repeat of February, when Zelensky’s Oval Office meeting with Trump was described by officials as tense and combative. European diplomats said they fear Trump could again press Zelensky into concessions without adequate security guarantees, particularly after the U.S. leader dropped his earlier demand for a ceasefire and embraced Putin’s call for immediate peace talks.
European Concerns
For Kyiv and its allies, the presence of Macron, Merz, Rutte and von der Leyen represents a crucial safeguard. “The European leaders’ presence at Zelensky’s side could help ease concerns in Kyiv and elsewhere that he risks being railroaded into a premature peace agreement,” one senior EU official said.
The leaders’ joint trip highlights broader strategic anxieties: that Trump’s push for a rapid peace deal could lock in Russia’s battlefield gains, limit Ukraine’s leverage, and weaken European security guarantees.
Next Steps
Trump has said that ending the war is now “up to President Zelensky” and urged European nations to “get involved a little bit.” Monday’s White House meeting may determine whether Europe can assert itself in shaping negotiations — or whether Trump and Putin’s alignment will dictate the path forward.
