What both sides want Ukraine to talk about in the White House

It is expected to be a different day than the White House, when world leaders made rare collective visits during austerity negotiations in Ukraine.

The meeting between Donald Trump and Volodomyr Zelensky, known as the meeting between the two presidents, has now become a summit.

Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Finland, the EU and NATO rushed out across the Atlantic, just how the three-year-old war with Russia should end and what terms.

This reflects the height of the bet and increases European concerns that the United States has shifted its position to a disadvantage to Ukraine.

As the sun was in the long, long day of speech, we broke down everyone present – and one who was not there.

Trump’s campaign promise is that he will resolve the conflict on the first day of the office, but six months later the breakthrough he wants remains uneasy.

The terms of any agreement seem less important to Trump than the deal itself, so over time, the conditions have changed.

Since meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump appears to have abandoned his criticism and sanctions threats against Moscow and decided to put pressure on Zelensky.

In a social post late Sunday night, he warned the Ukrainian president that he must give up his hope of NATO membership and must recognize Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014.

Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that Washington would provide security assurances for Europe aimed at preventing further aggression. But the details are not yet clear.

So far, the United States has boycotted Europe’s demands for Ukraine’s future security. Later, everyone’s eyes will be on the White House to see if this has really changed.

Zelensky finds himself in the face of an increasingly impatient Donald Trump, who seems to be influenced by Putin, who has accused Zelensky of being on the side of peace.

Trump may tell Zelensky that he must agree to give up the land. It will be very difficult for the Ukrainian president as it will retreat from Donetsk and Luhansk, which will be the area where thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died for protection since 2022.

This will also allow Russia to eventually control a large amount of territory that can later be used as a launch pad for further invasion.

Therefore, Zelensky cannot agree that concessions can be obtained without strong security guarantees, and this will begin if Russia attacks again. These may be provided by NATO, but Trump made it clear that Ukraine will not join the league.

The details of any alternative guarantees may not be resolved, but without them, Zelensky will have a hard time making any promises.

Ukraine is also concerned about the fact that Trump appears to have shifted from wanting a ceasefire to pushing a comprehensive peace deal. This can take a long time while allowing for continued attacks in Russia, civilian deaths and frontline losses.

European leaders will try to push Trump to enrich the U.S. security assurances for Ukraine.

The ambiguity of our statements on the matter shocked Europeans, who believe that protection from potential future attacks from Russia will have to come from credible American commitments.

The U.S. may also be nervous about the idea that Ukraine will give up its land to Russia. The European continent has a long history of bloody wars, and leaders want to avoid a situation where the borders of sovereign states are re-demarcated by force.

These serious concerns explain the unprecedented decision of such a huge leader to visit the White House at the last minute.

Last week, a virtual U.S. EU meeting ahead of the Alaska summit appeared to have a role in strengthening Trump’s criticism of Russia. Now that he seems to be shaking around Moscow again, European leaders will try to impress him that their concerns about the long-term security of the continent have not changed.

Today’s White House will not have a representative from Russia. This may not matter: Last week, Putin seemed to have left enough impressions of Trump, and Moscow may believe its views will be fully represented.

Trump has said Ukraine will not join NATO – Russia hopes to reaffirm and ratify that commitment. It also wants complete control of Donbas, which will require Kiev to abandon the land it still owns in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Perhaps most importantly, Moscow successfully instilled Trump’s idea that it is now up to Zelensky to end the war with a deal – while fully understanding that he cannot agree to the direct cedes. Russia’s victory was to make this friction lead Trump to leave the negotiating table forever and allow Ukraine and Europeans to support themselves.