A European leader is due to accompany Volodymyr Zelensky to meet with Donald Trump in the White House on Monday, with reports suggesting it will be Finnish president Alexander Stubb.
Stubb, who has cultivated a strong relationship with the U.S. president, will be on hand to prevent any flare-ups between the Ukrainian president and Trump, and to represent Europe’s interests.
It comes as Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine surrender the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of the Donbas region as one condition for ending the war.
The Russian leader told Trump that he would be prepared to stop fighting on the rest of the frontline if Ukraine gave in to the demand.
The concessions were discussed at the summit of the two leaders in Alaska on Friday, which ended with no peace deal despite nearly three hours of talks. Sources very close to the meeting told The Independent the dramatic move appears to have been endorsed by Mr Trump as a means to bring an end to the war.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer will speak to western allies on Sunday in a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting.
Russia ‘complicating’ efforts to end to war, Zelenskyy says
In a post on social media site X, Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia are complicating efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
He wrote: “We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation.
“If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades.
“But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war.”
Putin demands Zelensky surrenders Donetsk region as condition for ending war in Ukraine
The Russian leader told Donald Trump that he would be prepared to stop fighting on the rest of the frontline if Ukraine gave in to the demand and addressed the “root causes of the conflict”.
The concessions were discussed at the highly anticipated summit of the two leaders in Alaska on Friday, which ended with no peace deal despite nearly three hours of talks.
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Watch: Putin opens up on ‘very frank’ conversation with Trump
The key takeaways from Putin and Trump’s summit in Alaska
The highly-anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had been hailed as an essential and crucial step in forging a path towards peace in wartorn Ukraine.
In Moscow, the meeting has been praised as a success, while in the West, it has left more questions than answers.
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Finnish president reportedly due to join Zelensky in Washington
While multiple European leaders have been invited to join Volodymyr Zelensky during his trip to Washington on Monday, it has been reported that Trump favourite Alexander Stubb will be the one to make the trip.
According to two European diplomats and a person familiar with the matter who spoke to Politico, the Finnish president will be on hand to prevent any flare-ups between the Ukrainian president and Donald Trump, and to include Europe in any discussions.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has a close relationship with Trump, may also make the trip to Washington.
After an inconclusive summit, Ukraine’s fate hangs in the balance
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has named his price for ending the war in Ukraine. If he is given those parts of the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk that he does not already occupy, he would freeze the rest of the frontline.
His offer, made at the summit meeting in Alaska, was relayed by Donald Trump to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and Mr Trump then advised Mr Zelensky in a public interview to “make a deal” with Russia.
The US president’s position remains confused and ambiguous, but the implication that Ukraine should give up more land than it has already lost is not the right place to start. It is generally accepted, including by Mr Zelensky, that Ukraine will have to compromise in order to secure peace, but this would not be a compromise. It would be a straightforward concession, yielding to Mr Putin what he has been unable to win on the battlefield.
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Contents of letter that Melania Trump sent to Putin revealed
In the letter hand-delivered by Donald Trump to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Melania Trump appealed to “protect the innocence of children” and said that by doing so he would not only serve Russia but humanity as a whole.
“Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center,” she wrote.
“They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger. As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope. As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few.”
She said the world should paint a dignity-filled world for all – so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded.
“Mr Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter,” she wrote.
PM to speak with allies, amid reports Trump mulling Russian land grab in Ukraine
Sir Keir Starmer will meet European allies on Sunday, amid reports Donald Trump favours a Russian land grab in Ukraine to end the war.
The Prime Minister, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will host the coalition of the willing on Sunday afternoon.
The video conference of allies who plan to keep the peace in Ukraine comes ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky’s White House meeting with Donald Trump on Monday.
Several news outlets have cited sources which claimed that during the negotiations Mr Putin demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk – two occupied Ukrainian regions – as a condition for ending the war.
In exchange, he would give up other Ukrainian territories held by Russian troops.
Other outlets reported that Mr Trump is inclined to support the plan, and will speak to Mr Zelensky about it on Monday when they meet in the Oval Office.
Sir Keir commended Mr Trump’s “pursuit of an end to the killing” following a phone call with the US President, Mr Zelensky and Nato allies on Saturday morning.
Multiple European leaders invited to White House for Zelensky meeting
Multiple European leaders have been invited to join president Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday, a US official told CNN.
It remains uncertain who will attend, though European diplomats have indicated that at least one leader from the continent is expected to take part in the talks.
Keir Starmer to meet European allies as Trump hints at Russian land grab
Sir Keir Starmer will meet European allies on Sunday, amid reports Donald Trump favours a Russian land grab in Ukraine to end the war.
The prime minister, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz will host the “Coalition of the Willing” talks on Sunday afternoon.
The video conference of allies who plan to keep the peace in Ukraine comes ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky’s White House meeting with Donald Trump on Monday.
The one-on-one in the Oval Office could pave the way for a three-way meeting alongside Russian leader Putin, the US president has said.
Several news outlets have cited sources which claimed that during the negotiations Putin demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk – two occupied Ukrainian regions – as a condition for ending the war.
In exchange, he would give up other Ukrainian territories held by Russian troops.
Other outlets reported that Trump is inclined to support the plan, and will speak to Zelensky about it on Monday when they meet in the Oval Office.
Sir Keir commended Trump’s “pursuit of an end to the killing” following a phone call with the US president, Zelensky and Nato allies on Saturday morning.But he insisted Ukraine’s leader must not be excluded from future talks to broker a peace in Ukraine.
