Ukraine-Russia war latest: European leaders to back Zelensky today as Trump says Kyiv can end war ‘immediately’
Top European leaders will throw their weight behind Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of his meeting with US president Donald Trump at the White House today.
Trump will meet Zelensky at 1.15pm (5.15pm GMT) and hold a multilateral meeting with European leaders visiting Washington at 3pm.
After meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump is pushing Zelensky to strike a peace agreement instead of a ceasefire deal without Crimea and Nato membership – reiterating Moscow’s position.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “No getting back Obama given Crimea…and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”
Putin agreed during his meeting with Trump to let the US and its European allies offer Ukraine security guarantees, US envoy Steve Witkoff said.
“We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,” Mr Witkoff told CNN.
