Zelenskiy Heads to Washington Under Pressure for Peace Deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will arrive in Washington on Monday under heavy U.S. pressure to agree on a quick end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Despite the pressure, Zelenskiy insists he will defend Kyiv’s interests while avoiding another public clash with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump’s Alaska Talks With Putin
The visit follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The meeting shocked many in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands have died since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Those talks failed to secure the ceasefire Trump sought. Instead, Trump called for a rapid peace deal, saying Kyiv should accept because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”
This rhetoric places the burden on Zelenskiy, who faces his first trip back to Washington since his tense Oval Office meeting with Trump in February. At that meeting, Trump openly criticized him, saying Kyiv’s stance risked triggering World War Three.
Clash Over Ceasefire vs. Peace Agreement
Trump’s push for a direct peace deal goes against the position of Ukraine and its European allies, who argue that a ceasefire must come first. Kyiv insists that allowing Putin to dictate terms risks legitimizing Russian aggression.
Sources told Reuters that European leaders may join Monday’s Trump-Zelenskiy meeting, although attendance is still uncertain. Zelenskiy confirmed he spoke with Trump for over 90 minutes on Saturday. NATO and European officials later joined the call.
According to one source, Trump appeared eager for a quick agreement “at any price.” Putin reportedly offered to freeze the front lines if Ukraine withdrew from Donetsk and Luhansk. Zelenskiy rejected the proposal, saying withdrawal from Ukrainian territory was not possible.
Trump and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Putin would not accept a ceasefire before that withdrawal, but claimed Russia could pledge no further attacks as part of a deal.
Ukraine Rejects Territorial Concessions
Kyiv has dismissed the idea of surrendering internationally recognized land. Officials say Donetsk serves as a critical fortress preventing further Russian advances.
Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko warned that Putin’s definition of a peace deal includes dangerous demands such as blocking Ukraine from NATO, enforcing “denazification,” and boosting Russian influence through language and religion. Such conditions, he said, could be explosive inside Ukraine.
Security Guarantees at the Core
For Kyiv, strong security guarantees are central to any settlement. Avoiding another Oval Office confrontation is also key to preserving U.S. military aid and intelligence support.
Two sources said Trump and European leaders discussed security guarantees for Ukraine similar to NATO’s Article 5 pledge — an attack on one being an attack on all. European leaders are still seeking clarity on what U.S. involvement would look like.
Push for a Trilateral Summit
Zelenskiy has long argued that a three-way summit involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine is the best way to end the war. Trump floated the idea earlier this week, though Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov later said it was not discussed during the Alaska summit.
“Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this,” Zelenskiy wrote on social media.
