European leaders will joinUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyat the White House, as he meets with US President Donald Trump this afternoon. Trump said Zelensky must agree to some of Russia’s conditions — including that Ukraine cede Crimea and agree never to join NATO — for the war to end.
• Potential security guarantees: At last week’s summit with Trump, RussianPresident Vladimir Putin agreed to allow security guarantees for Ukraine and made concessions on “land swaps” as part of a potential peace deal, US envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN. Zelensky suggested that such guarantees would need to be stronger than those that “didn’t work” in the past. Russia has yet to mention such agreements.
• On the ground: Zelensky condemned Russia’s latest strikes across Ukraine, which killed at least 10 people, saying the Kremlin intends to “humiliate diplomatic efforts” and underscores “why reliable security guarantees are required.”
All of the European leaders have arrived for today’s White House meeting
By Kevin Liptak at the White House
French President Emmanuel Macron is greeted by US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley upon arriving at the White House South Portico on Monday.
With the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron around 12:45 p.m. ET, all of the European leaders have arrived for today’s hastily arranged meeting at the White House.
The leaders are not slated to meet with President Donald Trump until 2:15 p.m. ET. They are now inside the executive residence as we await the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky says main goal is reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and Europe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with European leaders at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, DC, on Monday.
Volodymyr Zelensky/X
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the goal of Monday’s meeting with US President Donald Trump is a “reliable and lasting peace” for his country and all of Europe.
He said on X that the US, Europe and others must put pressure on Russia’s president, saying no one should expect Vladimir Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest.
Zelensky added that he and European allies have coordinated their positions ahead of the meeting with Trump.
Last-minute summits of world leaders are rare at the White House
Last-minute gatherings of top world leaders are a rarity at the White House. Most diplomats surveyed by CNN this weekend couldn’t remember another example of presidents and prime ministers ripping up their schedules to rush to Washington for emergency talks.
European officials said the decision to come to Washington reflected the urgency many leaders feel in aligning with President Donald Trump on the Russia-Ukraine conflict — but also their alarm at not being sidelined.
The leaders flew to Washington separately but coordinated their approach before meeting Trump.
Russia occupies just over 18% of Ukrainian territory. Here’s how we got here
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to allow security guarantees for Ukraine if Kyiv agrees to “land swap” concessions as part of a peace deal.
Putin is insisting that Ukraine give up its eastern Donbas region, according to European officials. Russia has also demanded that Ukraine give up Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and agree to never join NATO.
In exchange, Putin said he would be willing to freeze the current front lines in the rest of Ukraine, Trump told European leaders.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has continued to push for security guarantees that ensure any peace deal reached is “lasting,” and has reiterated that Ukraine’s “borders must not be changed by force.”
Russia currently controls just over 18% of the country.
Here’s a look at how we reached this point:
At the Alaska summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump praised their talks as “productive,”
even though no binding agreements were reached. Both leaders emphasized the value of keeping dialogue open despite deep divisions.
The meeting closed with a symbolic gesture: Putin inviting Trump to Moscow for the next round of discussions. Trump didn’t commit but left the door open, fueling cautious optimism about possible progress.
In Europe, the response was mixed but hopeful. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán welcomed the talks, calling even small steps toward dialogue a safer path for the world. Other European leaders remained wary, balancing hopes for de-escalation with concerns about Western unity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also weighed in, pushing for a U.S.-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting. He is expected in Washington soon to coordinate next steps, underscoring that any future peace framework must directly involve Ukraine.