A high-profile group of European leaders will travel to Washington, D.C., on Monday to show unified support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The visit comes just days after Trump’s controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Among the international delegation are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. While it remains unclear if all will participate directly in the White House meeting, some are expected to meet with Trump separately.
“This isn’t about shielding Zelensky,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday. “We’ve been coordinating with these leaders for weeks. They were invited to come.”
Several of the visiting leaders — including Stubb, Meloni, and Rutte — are known for their strong rapport with Trump, earning nicknames like “Trump whisperers” for their ability to connect with him diplomatically.
The meeting follows a tense Oval Office encounter between Trump and Zelensky earlier this year, which reportedly ended in a shouting match. With that in mind, European leaders see Monday’s talks as critical for Ukraine’s future, particularly in the wake of Trump’s recent meeting with Putin.
During their Alaska summit, Trump warned Putin to pursue peace in Ukraine or face renewed sanctions. While no ceasefire was reached, Trump described the talks as “progress” and expressed interest in a broader peace agreement.
According to reports, Putin suggested Ukraine relinquish control of the remaining territory in Donetsk, a mineral-rich and heavily fortified region, in exchange for a possible freeze in fighting in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Analysts have voiced concerns that such a deal could leave Ukraine vulnerable to renewed Russian aggression.
Putin also reportedly flattered Trump during their meeting, reiterating claims that the 2020 U.S. election was stolen — a claim Trump later echoed in an interview with Fox News.
The summit drew harsh criticism internationally. Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the meeting as “the most vomit-inducing episode in all the tawdry history of international diplomacy.”
As tensions remain high, all eyes are now on Monday’s talks in Washington — with the future of Ukraine, and the unity of the West, hanging in the balance.
