Brussels: European leaders will take part in crucial talks in Washington on Monday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as efforts intensify to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. The meeting follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, which failed to secure a ceasefire.
Speaking on his return from Alaska, Trump said he believed that negotiating a comprehensive peace treaty would be more effective than agreeing to a temporary ceasefire. Putin also signalled the need for further discussions before any final settlement could be reached. European leaders, however, view Putin’s stance as a tactical move aimed at consolidating further territorial gains in Ukraine.
In light of this, several prominent European figures will attend the Washington talks, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Ahead of the summit, EU leaders held a virtual meeting to review the situation, with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin among the participants.
During a phone call with Zelensky and European leaders on Saturday, Trump indicated he was open to Putin’s proposal that the war could end if Ukraine ceded the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin reportedly said he would halt fighting in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia under such an arrangement. Trump has also pledged U.S. support to guarantee Ukraine’s long-term security under any potential settlement.
Meanwhile, fighting on the ground has continued. On Sunday, both Ukraine and Russia carried out drone and missile strikes in the Donbas region. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched more than 60 drones and Iskander missiles, while Ukraine targeted Russian border areas with 46 drones. A Russian strike on Donetsk on Saturday killed five people, according to Ukrainian officials.
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