The most critical day … until next is Monday, August 18th as the Donald Trump will meet with the Volodimir Zelenski and European leaders in the White House for Ukraine.
Donald Trump after meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska On Friday, August 15, prepared the meeting with Volodimir Zelenskiwho this time will not be alone in the White House But he will have with him the European Union and NATO.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Melon confirmed their presence.
«I am very happy to be able to accompany you tomorrow“Monday, said European Commission President Ursula von der Laien, who will also be present in the US federal capital.
Zelenski traveled Sunday in Brussels To meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Laien and take a teleconference with other leaders To prepare for meeting with Trump at the White House.
«It is very important to be with us and talk together in the US“, Zelenski told Brussels next to von der Layen.
«It is vital for Europe to be as united now as it was at the beginning as it was in 2022“, When Russia had its large -scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelenski said. “This unity really contributes to the promotion of real peace and must remain strong.”
Zelenski also thanked Trump for his recent statement in talks with European leaders that he is open to providing security guarantees in Ukraine.
“For all in Europe this is a major change, but there are no details on how it will work and what the role of America will be, what the role of Europe will be, what the EU can do,” Zelenski said. “This is our main task: We need security to work in practice.”
“Much will focus on the type of security guarantees that Ukraine is seeking,” Rubio told Fox News. The US must now elaborate on the details of the proposal, he said, and then present it to Russia and persuade Moscow to accept it.
“But first we have to put things in order,” he added.
Security guarantees could be based on NATO
Special envoy Steve Witkoff said that security guarantees could be based on Article V of the NATO Treaty, which stipulates that a hostile attack on a member would be considered an attack on all. However, guarantees will not be officially given by the alliance, but by individual members, he said.
“This means that the United States may be ready to provide security guarantees under Article V, but not from NATO, but directly from the United States and other European countries,” Witkoff told Fox News. “This is important.”
European leaders said after their telephone conversation that they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as the importance of making decisions from Ukraine on its territory and the need to maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions.
The pressures to be exerted on Zelenski
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, European officials said they expect Zelenski to be pressured by Trump to accept the agreement proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday during their meeting in Alaska.
According to this proposal, Ukraine will retire and deliver the eastern area of Donbas, including parts of the Donetsk region that is still controlled, according to officials familiar with discussions.
In return, Russia will freeze the conflict along the current contact line in Zaporizia and the peninsula, officials said.
Officials said that Zelenski’s main task on Monday would be to convince Trump that there are other, better alternatives to achieve the main goal of the US President, which is the rapid expiration of the war.
If Zelensky just rejects Putin’s demands, the resulting impasse could lead to new tensions between Trump and Zelenski. When Zelenski visited the White House in February, he entered a vocal dispute with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
What does Europe and Kiev ask for
Zelenski and European leaders have long insist that the territorial integrity and Ukraine’s sovereign choices must be respected in peace negotiations. European officials privately recognize that Ukraine will not recover its entire territory, but they say that the Russian occupation of Ukraine’s parts must be as small as possible and should never be legally recognized as Russian territory.
Zelenski noted on Sunday that the Ukrainian Constitution forbids land or land exchange. He would probably face a huge reaction inside the country if the Russian army was unable to conquer.
“Putin has many demands, but we don’t know them all,” Zelenski said. “It will take time to look at them all. It is impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons, “so now a ceasefire is needed, followed by quick work for a final deal, he said.