LONDON/KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is flying to Washington on Monday amid mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump to agree to a rapid peace settlement with Russia, even as Kyiv insists on defending its territorial integrity and long-term security.
The visit comes days after Trump’s controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which failed to produce the ceasefire Washington had sought but intensified calls for a full-fledged peace deal.
Trump’s Push for a Quick Settlement
Speaking on Saturday, Trump said Ukraine should accept a peace deal because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not,” placing responsibility on Zelensky to move negotiations forward.
The blunt demand echoes Trump’s earlier Oval Office meeting with Zelensky in February, which ended in tense exchanges. At the time, Trump accused Ukraine of being “intransigent” and warned its stance risked triggering “World War Three.”
European allies, meanwhile, argue that a ceasefire should precede any broader settlement, a position Kyiv also supports.
Putin’s Proposal: Withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk
According to sources familiar with the talks, Putin offered to freeze the front lines if Ukraine withdrew its forces from the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions — a condition Zelensky firmly rejected.
Kyiv maintains that ceding these territories, part of internationally recognized Ukrainian land, would embolden Moscow and undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“Putin’s idea of a peace agreement is dangerous — it could mean Ukraine not joining NATO, accepting Russian demands for ‘denazification,’ and conceding to his cultural and political conditions,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, head of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee.
Security Guarantees at the Heart of Talks
While Trump pushes for a settlement, European leaders and NATO allies are focusing on security guarantees that would protect Ukraine from future aggression. Two sources confirmed discussions about NATO-style defense commitments, where an attack on Ukraine would trigger allied response.
For Zelensky, any agreement must include robust guarantees — without them, Ukraine fears a repeat of Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Next Steps: Trilateral Talks?
Zelensky has long called for a trilateral summit with the US and Russia to discuss ending the war. Trump recently floated the idea, but Moscow said it was not raised during the Alaska talks.
“Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this,” Zelensky said on social media.
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