‘At the request of President Zelenskyy, I will join the meeting with President Trump,’ said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be accompanied by European and NATO leaders during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Aug. 17.
Zelenskyy’s previous meeting with Trump at the White House in February was cut short after the sit-down turned into a heated exchange, leading to the Ukrainian president’s early exit from the talks. European leaders may be looking to prevent a repeat of that meeting.
“This afternoon, I will welcome [Zelenskyy] in Brussels,” Von der Leyen, head of the European Union’s executive branch, posted on X on Sunday.
“At the request of President Zelenskyy, I will join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow.”
On Sunday, Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels for a joint press conference with von der Leyen.
“First, we must have strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe’s vital security interests,” she said. “[Ukraine] must be able to uphold its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.”
Other European leaders also announced they will attend the meeting with Trump on Monday, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the Secretary General of the NATO military alliance, Mark Rutte.
Their presence at the White House talks underscores Europe’s goal of ensuring it has a voice at the table during any negotiations over peace between Russia and Ukraine. Trump is working on a deal to end the war following his summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy was not present at their meeting in Alaska, but Trump said he spoke to him by phone shortly afterward.
On Sunday, Macron, Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” an assembly of Kyiv allies at 1300 GMT (9 a.m. ET).
European leaders are hoping to arrange a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy to guarantee Ukraine is included in any discussions to end Russia’s war, particularly over conditions for peace.
The leaders have expressed a need for security guarantees for Ukraine with U.S. involvement.
By Jacob Burg
