What began as a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expanded into a high-stakes summit, with leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the EU and NATO joining at the White House for urgent discussions on how to end the war in Ukraine.
The rare gathering underscores growing European unease that Washington’s stance on the conflict has shifted in a direction less favorable to Kyiv. The talks follow Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, after which Trump dropped criticism of Moscow and signaled he now expects Ukraine to concede significant ground.
On Sunday night, Trump warned Zelensky he must abandon aspirations for NATO membership and accept the loss of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington would offer Europe security guarantees to deter further Russian aggression, though the scope of those promises remains uncertain. Until now, the U.S. has resisted European demands for firm commitments to Ukraine’s defense.
Zelensky faces enormous pressure. Any agreement requiring Kyiv to surrender Donetsk and Luhansk would be politically and militarily devastating, given that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died defending those territories since 2022. Conceding land could also embolden Moscow to launch new offensives in the future. Without strong security assurances, it will be nearly impossible for Zelensky to accept such terms.
Trump, however, appears increasingly impatient, pushing for a comprehensive peace deal rather than a ceasefire. European leaders worry this shift could leave Ukraine vulnerable to continued Russian strikes while negotiations drag on. They are expected to press Trump to clarify what U.S. security guarantees would actually entail.
For Europeans, the stakes extend beyond Ukraine. Many fear that forcing Kyiv to give up land would set a dangerous precedent on the continent, allowing borders to be redrawn by force. That concern explains the extraordinary decision by so many leaders to cross the Atlantic at short notice.
Russia, though absent from the White House, may have already shaped the agenda. Putin has secured from Trump a clear statement that Ukraine will not join NATO, and Moscow is pressing for control over the rest of the Donbas. Analysts note that Russia’s strategy could be to push Zelensky into refusing any territorial concessions, hoping the impasse will drive Trump to abandon negotiations altogether.
As the summit begins, both allies and adversaries are watching to see whether Washington will commit to defending Ukraine or whether Kyiv will be left to negotiate under mounting pressure from Moscow and a restless White House.
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