European leaders including from Germany, France and Britain will accompany Volodymyr Zelenskiy to meet Donald Trump in Washington, they said on Sunday, seeking to bolster him as the U.S. president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, whose access to Trump included rounds of golf in Florida earlier this year. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will also go to Washington, her office said.
European allies are keen to avoid a repeat of Zelenskiy’s last Oval Office meeting in February that went disastrously, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance giving the Ukrainian leader a strong public dressing-down.
“The talks will address, among other things, security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression,” the German government said in a statement about the Washington trip, adding, “This includes maintaining pressure on sanctions.”
