US President Donald Trump will be meeting and holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, before meeting leaders from at least five European nations, along with the heads of the European Union and NATO. With all the EU leaders assembling at the White House, there’s no doubt that this is a rare show of unity among Ukraine’s strongest supporters.
Who all are attending the high-stakes Trump-Zelenskyy meet?
European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will join Zelenskyy in the White House meeting with Trump. The rare gathering is aimed at resisting any US-backed proposal that could allow Russia to gain control of more Ukrainian land.
Apart from Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb will also attend the meeting in the Oval Office. NATO chief Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also be present.
This strong show of unity comes after Zelensky’s difficult visit to Washington in February, when Trump and US Vice President JD Vance harshly criticised him, saying he was ungrateful and warning that Ukraine had little leverage in the war.
Key timings of for Trump-Zelenskyy meet at White House today (as per IST):
10:30 PM IST – European leaders expected to arrive at the White House
11:30 PM IST – Trump will welcome Zelensky, followed by a bilateral meeting 15 minutes later
12:45 AM IST (Tuesday) – Trump will greet the European leaders
1:30 AM IST (Tuesday) – Meeting between European leaders and Trump will begin
Agenda: For Zelensky, the risks are high
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants full control of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, but Zelensky has repeatedly refused to give it up. After the Alaska summit, Trump appears to have moved closer to Putin’s stance, which involves bargaining over the territory before Russia agrees to slow or shut down its attacks.
Today, Zelensky must balance carefully—protecting Ukraine’s land while avoiding the sharp criticism he faced from Trump during their Oval Office clash in February. Still, there may be one positive shift for him: the Trump administration now seems open to backing European security guarantees aimed at deterring Russia. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, compared this to NATO’s Article 5 defence pact, though officials say Trump has not fully decided how far he will go.
NATO allies want firm assurances, while Zelensky faces pressure from Trump, who is eager to push through a peace deal he can claim as his success.
Europe’s chance and challenge
For Europe and Ukraine, the White House meeting is both a challenge and an opportunity. It gives them a rare chance to try to shape Trump’s position before a possible three-way summit between Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv.
The key question is, can they present a plan that Trump would accept? One that freezes the current battle lines and brings in US backing to keep them secure?