European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Washington in an effort to find a way out of the Russian invasion, AFP reported. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned his demand for an immediate ceasefire following his meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine, more than three years after the start of the war, had been among Trump’s key preconditions before the meeting. However, after talks with Putin that produced no breakthrough, he rejected the prospect of an immediate halt to hostilities — a move seen as favoring Moscow.

Kyiv and its European allies criticized this stance as a way for Russia to buy time for fresh offensives. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attempt to persuade Trump to change course.

Von der Leyen announced that she would welcome Zelensky in Brussels before, at his request, accompanying him to Washington together with other leaders. The German government confirmed Merz’s participation, noting that he would press for a “swift peace agreement.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb and French President Emmanuel Macron will also join.

On his return flight from Alaska, Trump informed Zelensky and the European leaders that “the best way to end this terrible war is through a direct peace agreement.” He added that ceasefires “often do not hold.” Zelensky, however, stated that this shift “complicates the situation,” as Moscow is not even showing willingness to stop its strikes, let alone accept a long-term peace.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, Trump supported a proposal from Putin for Russia to gain full control over Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for freezing the front line in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine rejected the idea — “the president refused to abandon Donbas,” the source said. Nevertheless, Trump proposed that the U.S. provide security guarantees for Kyiv, which Merz described as “significant progress.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, however, criticized the outcome of the meeting, accusing Putin of stalling with no intention of ending the bloodshed. “The bitter reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon,” she declared.

Attention is now focused on Zelensky’s meeting at the White House. His previous visit in February ended in a heated scandal, when Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance publicly accused him of showing insufficient gratitude for American aid.

In an interview with Fox News following his meeting with Putin, Trump stated that responsibility now lies with Zelensky to achieve a peace agreement, while paving the way toward a possible trilateral meeting with Putin.

Meanwhile, the war continues — Kyiv and Moscow exchange drone attacks, while in Moscow Putin described the talks with Trump as “timely and very useful.” In a statement from Alaska, he warned Ukraine and European countries not to resort to “backstage intrigues” that could hinder “progress.” |BGNES