European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for meeting with Trump
By SAMYA KULLAB and JOHN LEICESTER
European and NATO leaders announced Sunday they will join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington for talks with President Donald Trump on ending Russia's war in Ukraine, with the possibility of U.S. security guarantees now on the negotiating table.
European leaders, including heavyweights France, Britain and Germany, are rallying around the Ukrainian leader after his exclusion from Trump's summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their pledge to be at Zelenskyy's side at the White House on Monday is an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter.
'The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr Zelenskyy to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations.
'It's a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump,' he said.
Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Putin agreed at the meeting in Alaska with Trump to allow the U.S. and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the 3 1/2-year war.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a news conference in Brussels with Zelenskyy, said 'we welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine. And the 'Coalition of the willing' -- including the European Union -- is ready to do its share.'
Von der Leyen was joined Sunday by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finnish President Alexander Stubb in saying they will take part in Monday's talks at the White House, as will secretary-general of the NATO military alliance, Mark Rutte.
The European leaders' demonstration of support could help ease concerns in Kyiv and in other European capitals that Ukraine risks being railroaded into a peace deal that Trump says he wants to broker with Russia.
Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said European leaders are trying to 'shape this fast-evolving agenda.' After the Alaska summit, the idea of a ceasefire appears all-but-abandoned, with the narrative shifting toward Putin's agenda of ensuring Ukraine does not join NATO or even the EU.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday that a possible ceasefire is 'not off the table' but that the best way to end the war would be through a 'full peace deal.'
Putin has implied that he sees Europe as a hindrance to negotiations. He has also resisted meeting Zelenskyy in person, saying that such a meeting can only take place once the groundwork for a peace deal has been laid.
Speaking to the press after his meeting with Trump, the Russian leader raised the idea that Kyiv and other European capitals could 'create obstacles' to derail potential progress with 'behind-the-scenes intrigue.'
For now, Zelenskyy offers the Europeans the 'only way' to get into the discussions about the future of Ukraine and European security, says RUSI's Melvin.
However, the sheer number of European leaders potentially in attendance means the group will have to be 'mindful' not to give 'contradictory' messages, Melvin said.
'The risk is they look heavy-handed and are ganging up on Trump,' he added. 'Trump won't want to be put in a corner.'
Although details remain hazy on what Article 5-like security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe would entail for Ukraine, it could mirror NATO membership terms, in which an attack on one member of the alliance is seen as an attack on all.
In remarks made on CNN's 'State of the Union,' Witkoff said Friday's meeting with Trump was the first time Putin has been had heard to agree to such an arrangement.
Zelenskyy continues to stress the importance of both U.S. and European involvement in any negotiations.
'A security guarantee is a strong army. Only Ukraine can provide that. Only Europe can finance this army, and weapons for this army can be provided by our domestic production and European production. But there are certain things that are in short supply and are only available in the United States,' he said at the press conference Sunday alongside Von der Leyen.
Zelenskyy also pushed back against Trump's assertion — which aligned with Putin's preference — that the two sides should negotiate a complete end to the war, rather than first securing a ceasefire. Zelenskyy said a ceasefire would provide breathing room to review Putin's demands.
'It's impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons,' he said. 'Putin does not want to stop the killing, but he must do it.'
Associated Press writers Pan Pylas in London, and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
13 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
A Night in D.C. after Trump's National Guard Deployment
The sunlight dimmed along this stretch of U Street to the familiar soundtrack of a city ready for the weekend: rumbling buses taking home tired commuters, high heels clacking along sticky sidewalks and chattering crowds ready to order their first round. Then a group gathered on a street corner with pots and pans, jingling them as the darkness grew closer. They whooped and cheered for a few minutes, a brief moment of joyful resistance seeking to counteract the image of the crime-riddled city described by the president. Among the clubgoers in miniskirts and sweat-soaked T-shirts, there were federal agents hopping in and out of unmarked cars. A protester held a sign reading 'America has no kings.' Police officers were met with boos and phones ready to record. Welcome to the first Friday night in D.C. since President Donald Trump announced he was placing the local police under federal control and sending in National Guard troops to a city where 9 of 10 voters cast ballots for his opponent. The next morning, the White House would announce that their overnight operation yielded 52 arrests and the seizure of three illegal firearms. Twenty-two multiagency teams were deployed throughout the city. Trump justified the exertion of executive power to reduce crime by depicting the city as a lawless wasteland, despite violent crime reaching 30-year lows. But many of those gathered around the bars and clubs in Northwest Washington on Friday night said they felt more unsettled by the federal presence than any other safety concerns. Washington Post journalists spent Friday night in a popular section of U Street – a nightlife hub that is among the areas of the city with the highest number of crimes reported this year. Earlier this summer, D.C. police implemented a youth curfew over concerns about rowdy crowds in some areas. Nearby, two nights earlier, a mix of local and federal authorities pulled over drivers for seat belt violations or broken taillights while onlookers chanted: 'Go home, fascists.' On Friday, crowds were smaller, bartenders and club managers said, and they wondered if patrons were staying inside to avoid federal authorities. And yet, there were still people ready to party. The largest police response The Post witnessed Friday night was over a claim of a stolen bike. It was around 8:30 p.m., and the sky was ink blue. One couple heading home from an event at a nearby synagogue looked on with furrowed brows. They spotted a few D.C. police cruisers blocking traffic and agents donning vests labeled 'HSI' – Homeland Security Investigations. They hadn't seen that before, not here. A pair of French tourists, in D.C. for the first time and looking for a bar, paused when they saw the police cruisers and growing crowd. Earlier, they'd strolled by the White House, marveled at the Capitol, and now they were trying to make sense of the flashing lights. They'd loosely followed the week's headlines and were still thrilled to be visiting. 'We're on vacation, so we try to cut [out] the news,' Solène Le Toullec said, and they walked on. At the sight of local and federal law enforcement throughout the night, people pooled on the sidewalk – watching, filming, booing. 'Get out!' 'Go!' 'Quit!' Such interactions played out again and again as the night drew on. Onlookers heckled the police as they did their job and applauded as officers left. Across the street, security guard Ashley Nash stood with arms crossed outside the fried chicken spot she shepherds, unfazed by the flashing lights and sirens. She welcomed the extra police presence. 'It's needed in these times right now,' she said. Groups in miniskirts teetered past as the sky darkened. Harry Wright, 29, walked out of Service Bar and paused in the evening humidity. The bar's general manager, he scanned the outdoor seating, where friends clustered around tables, ringing in the weekend with cocktails. It was a pleasant sight in what otherwise had been a heavy week. He'd heard from a co-worker who didn't feel safe to walk to work because of the heightened law enforcement presence. He knew the community was on edge. The hospitality and food industries, he said, are 'fueled by immigrants and people of color and queer people, and those are the people who feel the least safe in the city right now.' Trump has described his federal intervention in D.C. as a crusade against crime. In its first week, the main targets have increasingly been immigrants and those experiencing homelessness. Videos of local detainments have reverberated through group chats and social media. 'We, for a living, take care of people and work really hard to make others feel welcome in our space,' Wright said. To have loved ones no longer feel 'comfortable and welcome in the city they live in is really, really upsetting.' Around 10 p.m., Perry Singletary stood outside Nellie's, illuminated by the gay bar's blue signage. 'This area in general is just unsafe,' she said, adding that her car was broken into two months ago. 'There's someone being jumped. There's a fight. There's carjackings.' Still, she wasn't sure what else local leaders could do and thought the president's response was 'extreme.' But as she scanned the block and quiet sidewalk, she appreciated the calm. 'It is nice to see a police presence outside, because it's been quiet out here for the last week, and it's usually not,' she said. Outside a Metro station entrance, a group of friends spotted a cluster of khaki-clad U.S. marshals and began to record. One agent pulled out a phone and recorded, too. 'We're out here on the streets of Washington, D.C., to keep the citizens as safe as possible from a mandate down from the president telling us that we're going to keep the city's streets safe, because there's murders, rapists, robbers and all of this stuff going on,' the marshal said. A few blocks over, a gaggle of folks assembled outside a Subway. It was here that a Justice Department employee allegedly threw a sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer late Sunday in a scene that made him a hero in some corners of the internet. He has since been fired and faces felony charges. 'This is the Subway,' said a man in shorts and a cap, having seen the viral clip of the hurled hoagie. Brian Downing, 26, took a selfie with three friends just before 11 o'clock. Visiting from Chesapeake, Virginia, they considered canceling their trip earlier this week when, scrolling through TikTok, they came across a video of a checkpoint two nights before and two blocks north. Law enforcement stopped dozens of cars in front of a popular chain bakery, a veterinary clinic and a high-end outdoor apparel store. At least two people were detained – one man speaking Spanish was loaded into an unmarked pickup. A woman was handcuffed while the crowd, gathered on the sidewalks, booed and yelled at officers to 'read the Constitution.' Others hastily made signs and stood on nearby corners to warn people to steer clear. But Downing and his friends had already booked their Airbnb. Plus, they didn't want to be robbed of a good time. 'Glad to be here,' he said. Four blocks down, Andrew Fraser, 21, waited with a cluster of friends to get into El Rey. They'd also thought about staying in tonight. Considering the heavier law enforcement presence and potential for tensions to spill over, they'd asked: Is it worth it? But, Fraser said, 'we don't want our way of life to be stopped before it has to be.' The tensions weren't going to stop them from celebrating a friend's birthday. Sarah Gammoh, 25, and Stewart Hahn, 31, emerged from a table at The Saloon, a bar where they had just celebrated with loved ones. They married today and were determined to have a good time. 'We didn't let it stop us,' Hahn said. Sarah nodded in agreement, clutching two bouquets of flowers. Around midnight, Mark Rutstein, 51, walked into Crush, the bar he co-owns, and sighed. The dance floor was almost empty. Upstairs, it was maybe a third full. Two nights earlier, they'd closed more than an hour early, after, he said, a heavy law enforcement presence nearby drove people away. And now it was Friday night, and the crowd hadn't materialized. He thought of his 47 employees, his overhead costs and his breakeven. He thought of the president's rhetoric calling D.C. 'one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world' – a description he feared was keeping visitors away. The immigration crackdown was keeping people away too, he was sure. 'I don't know how local businesses are going to survive this,' he said. Inside Ben's Chili Bowl, tables of friends gorged on fries laden with cheese and half smokes. At a nearby bar hosting a Donna Summer theme night, the dance floor had, at one point, just one person. Meanwhile, Jasmine Curtis, 28, settled into a red camping chair, tinfoil trays of honey jerk salmon, yams, green beans, rice and wings arranged on a plastic folding table in front of her. Occasionally, the block was set aglow with the blue and red of a passing police cruiser. She's been on edge this week, she said, staying home with her two sons amid the heightened police presence. But on Friday she ventured out for her usual perch just off U Street, scooping steaming food into takeout trays for hungry bargoers. It was 2:38 a.m., and she had three more servings to sell.
NHK
2 hours ago
- NHK
Over 300 memorandums between Japan and African nations eyed at TICAD
The Japanese government and companies plan to exchange more than 300 memorandums with their counterparts from Africa who are visiting Japan to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD. The Japan-led conference will take place over three days from Wednesday in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Sources say the Japanese government and firms plan to sign the memorandums with their partners from Africa in a bid to deepen relations with them. Some of them are designed to help the governments of African nations import Japanese products in seven fields, such as healthcare and agriculture. Japanese financial institutions will provide loans to governments in Africa via the African Export-Import Bank. Insurance companies affiliated with the Japanese government are to underwrite the loans to facilitate the transactions. In one case, the Kenyan government is expected to obtain a loan insured for hundreds of millions dollars so that it can be used as a subsidy to promote investments from Japanese automakers and others. Africa, with its growing population, is viewed as a growth market amid uncertainty for the outlook for Japanese exports due to the Trump administration's tariff measures.
Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japan watches nervously as Trump ramps up pressure on Zelenskyy
Tokyo was watching nervously as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a quick peace deal with Russia — an agreement that could have broad ramifications for Japan and Asia. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba welcomed Trump's efforts to bring an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and achieve 'a fair and lasting peace,' Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a readout late Sunday of Ishiba's online meeting with leaders from the "coalition of the willing," a group of nations that have pledged support for Ukraine against Russian aggression. 'The continued active engagement of the United States remains extremely important,' the ministry quoted Ishiba as telling the gathering ahead of talks between Trump, Zelenskyy and a coterie of European in Washington on Monday. Ishiba's remarks follow Trump's summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska. After those talks, Trump flip-flopped on an earlier aim of seeking a ceasefire in the 3½-year conflict, largely aligning with Putin's goals by demanding that Zelenskyy accept a quick peace deal by giving up a broad swath of Ukrainian territory for unclear security guarantees. 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote on Truth Social late Sunday. The remarks echoed his earlier advice to Zelenskyy and his fellow Ukrainians: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he said in an interview following the Alaska summit. Any agreement to a hastily put together deal would be an unnerving development for Japan, which has been a strong proponent of maintaining the rules-based global order while condemning unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force — a stance widely seen as aimed at China, albeit obliquely. 'Issues related to sovereignty and territorial integrity are extremely important and must be discussed in a manner that includes Ukraine,' Ishiba said during Sunday's gathering. While the co-chairs of the coalition of the willing emphasized last Wednesday that 'international borders must not be changed by force,' that language was conspicuously absent from a statement released Sunday, which instead focused on support for Ukraine and the need for security guarantees for Kyiv in any deal. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has stoked concern in Tokyo that military powerhouse China — with its eye on democratic Taiwan — could take a page from Moscow's playbook and invade the island that it claims as its own. Meanwhile, North Korea's participation on Russia's side in the conflict has added yet another link to Asia, as Pyongyang gains critical battlefield experience along with access to advanced weaponry. Top Japanese government officials, including Ishiba, have linked the security of Europe to that of the Indo-Pacific region, saying that 'Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow.' As the parties seek an end to the invasion of Ukraine, Ishiba said Sunday that Japan would continue to work with other countries to ensure that there is no negative impact on the security of the Indo-Pacific region and across the globe. But amid the flurry of diplomacy — and mounting concerns that Zelenskyy could be pressured into a quick deal — concerns about the precedent any quick agreement could set for Asia have largely been drowned out. Making matters even more vexing for Ishiba is the state of Tokyo's alliance with Washington under the Trump administration. Japan, which depends on the United States for its security, has had to strike a delicate balance with the White House in terms of being critical — or risk Trump's ire — amid tariff threats and his demands that Tokyo shoulder more of the defense burden.
