EU leaders to join Zelenskyy for White House talks

The coordinated move — with several European leaders announcing they will accompany Zelenskyy to the White House on Monday — appears aimed at ensuring the meeting goes more smoothly than the February encounter, when Trump sharply criticized the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office.

“Europeans are very concerned about a repeat of the Oval Office confrontation, so they want to fully support Mr. Zelenskyy,” said retired French General Dominique Trinquand, former head of France’s military mission at the UN. “It’s a power play that could work with Trump,” he added.

Their presence could reassure Kyiv and other European capitals that Ukraine will not be pressured into a peace deal with Russia that Trump has expressed interest in brokering.

It remains unclear whether all of the European leaders will join the meeting with Trump.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on X that she will attend the talks, “at the request of President Zelenskyy.” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will also participate, according to his office.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said he will travel to Washington alongside Zelenskyy, though it did not confirm if he will attend the meeting. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also part of the European delegation, but it is unclear whether he will take part in the actual discussions with Trump.

The joint trip highlights Europe’s determination to maintain a role in U.S.-led peace efforts following Trump’s Friday summit with Putin, which excluded Zelenskyy, reports UNB.