Which European leaders are set to meet Trump alongside Zelenskyy in Washington?

Who will join Zelenskyy?

Those attending the White House talks include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Finnish President Alexander Stubb will also take part.

What is the meeting about?

The leaders aim to support Ukraine as Trump presses for an agreement with Russia. According to the German government, the talks will focus on “security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression. This includes maintaining pressure on sanctions.”

European powers are also pushing for a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy to ensure Ukraine has a direct role in shaping its future.

What did Trump and Putin discuss?

Trump and Putin spoke in Alaska about Russia giving up smaller areas of occupied land in exchange for keeping larger parts of eastern Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.

A source familiar with the talks said Trump later told Zelenskyy by phone that Putin had offered to “freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk.” The source added that Zelenskyy rejected the proposal.

Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, including most of Donetsk province.

Trump’s position

After his Alaska meeting with Putin, Trump said: “Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”

He also suggested that talks could proceed without a ceasefire, shifting from his earlier stance that fighting should stop first.

European concerns

European leaders want to avoid a repeat of Zelenskyy’s last visit to the White House in February, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly urged him to strike a quick settlement.

Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Merz, Macron and Starmer hosted a virtual session of the “coalition of the willing”, a grouping of more than 30 countries backing Kyiv. Von der Leyen and Zelenskyy joined from Brussels.

Fighting continues

Ukraine has stressed that a peace deal cannot move forward without halting the fighting. “Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war,” Zelenskyy posted on X.

Today, following a conversation with President Trump, we further coordinated positions with European leaders. The positions are clear. A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions.

Killings must stop as soon as…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 16, 2025

Putin, meanwhile, warned Europe not to “attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue,” Reuters reported.