• Zelensky’s US visit: US President Donald Trump is preparing to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tomorrow. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed she will be joining Zelensky at the White House.
• Busy week of diplomacy: Kyiv’s key European allies will meet today as they consider potential security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of peace deal. Zelensky said yesterday Russia’s rejection of a ceasefire is “complicating the situation” when it comes to ending the war.
• Trump’s reversal: The US president now says he is focusing directly on securing a lasting peace deal in Ukraine, rather than starting with a ceasefire. The shift in positions appears to align with the aims of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Read our analysis on how Europe is again scrambling to influence Trump.
• Further talks: Meanwhile, Trump has told European officials that if the Zelensky visit goes well, he wants to arrange a three-way meeting of the US, Ukrainian and Russian leaders by as early as Friday.
The ball is very much back in Europe’s court as it scrambles to come up with a unified approach to put to US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.
