Zelensky and European Leaders Huddle with Trump: A Discussion on Peace for Ukraine?
The upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders is expected to focus on negotiating a peace deal for Ukraine. The discussions could potentially require significant concessions from Ukraine, such as ceding Crimea and forgoing NATO membership.
According to reports, Trump has indicated that for the war to end, Zelensky must accept "some of Russia’s conditions," including territorial and security compromises. Russian President Putin has shown some openness to security guarantees and possible land swaps in prior discussions with Trump, although the specifics of these guarantees remain unclear.
The key expected concessions include:
- Ukraine ceding Crimea to Russia as part of the peace terms.
- Ukraine agreeing never to join NATO, addressing one of Russia’s longstanding security concerns.
- Security guarantees for Ukraine, which Ukraine insists must be stronger than previous ineffective deals, and legally binding, covering military, diplomatic, and legal protections to prevent future Russian aggression.
Both sides may need to give and take to reach a deal. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has acknowledged the difficulty in negotiating and stressed that no deal is assured before the meeting.
Trump is pursuing a peace deal rather than just a ceasefire, having stepped back from threats of new sanctions on Moscow to focus on brokering an agreement. The negotiations involve U.S. officials working with Zelensky and European allies to consolidate a peace framework, while Putin has so far avoided direct bilateral talks with Zelensky but has made some concessions in previous meetings with Trump.
The Europeans consider it important that the USA is involved in the security guarantees for Ukraine. The meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the White House will be accompanied by European reinforcements, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
In summary, the key expected concessions are Ukraine’s acceptance of territorial losses like Crimea, a legally binding security pledge excluding NATO membership, and compromises by Russia on security guarantees and land adjustments, all aimed at ending the conflict with reciprocal concessions by both sides.
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