In a visit that carries the weight of a continent, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the US capital for a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump, setting the stage for a tense showdown over the terms of peace with Russia. The talks, which are also being attended by a cohort of European leaders and NATO officials, highlight a clear divergence in the two presidents’ approaches to ending the war.
Zelenskyy, who arrived in Washington on Sunday, took to X (formerly Twitter) to outline his uncompromising stance. “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting,” he wrote. Stressing that a peace agreement cannot be based on territorial concessions, he recalled how previous “security guarantees” in 1994 failed, a lesson he says will not be repeated. “Crimea should not have been given up then, just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022,” he stated.
His visit comes just days after President Trump’s “10 on 10” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a summit that reportedly laid the groundwork for a direct peace agreement. However, Trump’s public comments ahead of the Washington meeting have created a chasm between the two leaders’ positions.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump reiterated his belief that “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to.” He ruled out two of Ukraine’s core demands, declaring, “No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” Trump’s message firmly placed the burden of ending the war on Kyiv.
The bilateral meeting, which reportedly follows a tense encounter between the two leaders in February, is being carefully watched by European allies who have joined Zelenskyy to present a united front. Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte are all set to join the talks, signaling a collective effort to support Ukraine and influence the outcome.
Despite Trump’s firm stance against NATO, his special envoy reportedly told CNN that Putin has agreed to a “game-changing” concession to provide Ukraine with “Article 5-like” security guarantees, a move that could offer a potential path to peace without full NATO membership.
As the talks unfold, the future of the conflict hangs in the balance, with Trump pushing for a swift resolution and Zelenskyy insisting on a peace that protects his country’s sovereignty.