Zelenskyy is set to hold discussions with European leaders in London aimed at finding a path to end the Ukraine war
Ukraine’s president noted that the recent talks with the US on peace proposals were constructive, though they came with their challenges.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with the leaders of the UK, France, and Germany in London on Monday to discuss a new peace proposal drafted by the US aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Several days of talks between US and Ukrainian officials concluded on Saturday without a resolution. The Ukrainian president described the discussions as “constructive, though not easy.”
On Sunday night, Donald Trump said that Zelenskyy “hasn’t even read the proposal yet” and claimed, without providing evidence, that “his people like it.”
Rustem Umerov, a senior negotiator for Kyiv, said that Zelenskyy would be briefed on his team’s discussions with US officials and would receive all the documents related to the peace plan on Monday.
Following the Gaza ceasefire brokered with Trump’s support, the US is working to advance a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow.
US officials claim they are in the final stages of reaching a deal, but there are few signs that either Ukraine or Russia is ready to sign the framework agreement drafted by Trump’s negotiating team.
In his comments on Sunday, Trump said, “I think Russia is fine with [the deal], but I’m not sure Zelenskyy is. His people like it. But he’s not ready yet.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron will welcome Zelenskyy to London to discuss the negotiations.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to arrive in Washington on Monday, where she will meet with her American counterpart, Marco Rubio. Announcing Cooper’s visit, the Foreign Office in London said, “The UK and the US will reaffirm their commitment to reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine.”
Washington’s initial plan to end the nearly four-year-old war involved Ukraine ceding territory that Russia had failed to seize on the battlefield. In return, Ukraine would receive security guarantees that fall short of Kyiv’s aspirations for NATO membership.
Despite repeated attempts by Trump and his team to advance the deal, progress in peace talks has been slow, with disagreements over security guarantees for Kyiv and the status of Russian-occupied territories remaining unresolved.
Starmer has repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine must determine its own future and said that a European peacekeeping force would play a “vital role” in guaranteeing the country’s security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly endorsed the White House plan and said last week that parts of Trump’s proposal were not workable.
Last week, U.S. ambassadors Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Putin in the Kremlin, but there was no apparent breakthrough.
In his video address Sunday night, Zelensky said, “The American delegation knows the basic situation in Ukraine.”
Trump’s relationship with Zelensky has been rocky since his return to the White House, and he has repeatedly urged Ukrainians to hand over land to Russia so they can end a conflict that he says has cost many lives.
Zelensky said on Saturday that he had a “productive phone call” with U.S. officials involved in talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Florida. He said U.S. and Ukrainian officials provided him with updates over the phone during the talks.
Zelenskyy wrote on social media, “Ukraine is determined to work in good faith with the American side to achieve peace.”
On Sunday, Russia welcomed the Trump administration’s new national security strategy.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the updated strategic document, which outlines the administration’s core foreign policy interests, largely aligns with Moscow’s vision.
The document, released by the White House on Friday, states that after years of treating Moscow as an isolated pariah on the world stage, the US wants to improve its relationship with Russia. It also sharply criticized European countries and warned of the threat of “civilizational collapse” on the continent.
Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said at a defense forum on Saturday that the administration’s efforts to end the war are in the “final 10 meters.” He said two issues remain: territory and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Kellogg is considered one of the US officials most sympathetic to Kyiv’s position, but he is set to leave his post next month and was present at the talks in Florida.
Several other people close to Trump, including Witkoff, are more open to accommodating Russia. Trump’s son, Donald Jr., said at a forum in Doha on Sunday that Zelenskyy is deliberately prolonging the fighting because he fears he will lose power if it ends. He said the US would no longer be a “checkbook fool.” (Associated Press and Agence France-Presse)
