Europe weighs joining Zelenskyy in Washington after Trump-Putin’s talks fail

European officials will decide this weekend whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be joined by European leaders on his visit to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Saturday.

When asked whether German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could accompany Zelenskyy, Wadephul said many European leaders would be willing to travel with the Ukrainian president if such a decision is made.

“That’ll be agreed this weekend, and Friedrich Merz’s willingness to assume responsibility is evident; he has demonstrated this very clearly in the last few days. This will be discussed together,” Wadephul told German broadcaster ARD.

This comes after Trump met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska and could not succeed in reaching an agreement on a ceasefire in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

After Trump’s talk with Putin for ceasefire in Ukraine failed to establish ground, Trump shifted his stance to say that he was now keen on securing a full peace agreement.

Furthermore, Trump said that it was now up to Zelenskyy to “get it done” and said a meeting would be arranged between the Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy and Putin, which Trump might attend.

DEMAND OF SECURITY GUARANTEES

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly said he cannot concede territory without constitutional changes. Kyiv views Donetsk’s “fortress cities” like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as key defenses against further Russian gains.

Zelenskyy has also demanded security guarantees to prevent another invasion. He said he and Trump had discussed “positive signals” about US involvement, stressing that Ukraine needs lasting peace, not “just another pause” between Russian invasions.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been steadily advancing in recent months. Analysts say the war, Europe’s deadliest in 80 years, has killed or injured more than a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians.

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Inputs from Reuters

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