US President Donald Trump is speaking to correspondents on the Air Force one on his way to Alaska for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate the end of the war in Ukraine, the United States, August 15, 2025.
Kevin Lamark Reuters
LONDON – Three goals top the agenda, as many European leaders join Ukrainian President Folodimir Zelinski to meet the US leader Donald Trump in Washington, DC,
On Friday, the Alaska summit raised concerns in Europe that Trump may have reduced his position on possible sanctions on Russia, and is now pressing for a permanent peace agreement in Ukraine instead of the first ceasefire – a more compatible approach with Moscow’s position.
European Union officials still remember Zelinski’s burning appearance in the Oval Office in February, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized the Ukrainian leader in front of television cameras for not thanks enough to support us throughout the war.
This time, European Union leaders travel to the United States on Monday looking to bring Washington alongside Ukraine. The European Group includes heads of state close to Trump, such as Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stop.
“The goal is to support Zelenskyy,” said a senior diplomat in the European Union, who did not want to call it due to the sensitivity of the topic. “The idea is to make sure that (Trump) has the same goals as Europe.”
The same diplomat explained: “Our main goals are: security guarantees, stop killing and going to attend a triple meeting.”
Security guarantees
In the face of a scenario characterized by the end of the war, but there is no membership of NATO in Kiev, Ukraine insisted on cleansing security, which reduces the possibility of more attacks and invasions in its territory.
According to the United States Steve Witkeovs, Putin agreed to allow Europe and the United States to provide post-war security guarantees to Ukraine, which can be described as a similar protection for Article 5 in the NATO Alliance-a measure that stipulates that the attack against one member is an attack on everyone.
“Article -5 is like security guarantees for Ukraine is great, but it is not clear what he will follow in practice,” an official of the European Union, who follows these geopolitical issues, but he did not want to obtain his name because of the issue of the issue, told CNBC.
Speaking to the early edition of Europe in Europe on Monday, former diplomat James Peninagil said that these security guarantees will allow Western – but not NATO – to be forces in Ukraine, which “will have the ability to fight into any violations of the ceasefire.”
Stop killing
According to Putin, Putin called the withdrawal of Ukraine from the regions of Donetsk and Luhanssk in the east of the country, and added that Moscow could freeze the front lines in the regions of Jeresson and Zaburisvia in the south.
However, the promise to end the war in exchange for regional concessions is the lack of a long for Kiev, as Zelinski said last week that such surrender would be “based” of a new Russian attack in the future.
“As long as the bloodshed continues in Ukraine, Europe will maintain a diplomat, especially the economic pressure on Russia,” Ursula von der Lin said in a statement on Sunday.
She added that the European Union “will continue to strengthen sanctions” and enhance preparations for a group of 19 measures that must be put in early September.
Trump, Putin and Zelinski?
The other goal is that Europe wants to meet on Monday is to secure the White House support to hold a meeting that includes Trump and Putin, but it also brings Zelinsky to the negotiating table.
“These are difficult times, only Ukraine can choose its fate,” said von der Lynn on Sunday.
Trump talked about a possible summit that exposes himself, Russian and Ukrainian leadership, but he did not mention this possibility of this gathering since the Alaska summit.
— Emilia Hardy of CNBC contributed to this report.
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