Rutte, European leaders to join Zelensky in Washington talks with Trump on Ukraine

Dutch NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, alongside European leaders, will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on Monday for high-level talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The confirmed European delegation includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Sources cited by Bloomberg report that Rutte, Stubb, and von der Leyen will participate directly in the White House discussions.

Ahead of the meeting, the so-called “coalition of the willing”—a group of European leaders supporting Ukraine—will hold a video conference with Zelensky on Monday afternoon.

The online session is organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in cooperation with Scholz and Macron. Starmer’s office said: “During that meeting tomorrow at the White House, the prime minister, together with other European leaders, will be ready for the next phase in talks. He will also reiterate that the UK will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary.”

Initial uncertainty had surrounded the participation of European leaders in the Washington meeting. Macron and Stubb confirmed their attendance in recent hours, joining von der Leyen and Scholz.

According to The Financial Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly offered a Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas region in exchange for a ceasefire. The New York Times reported that Trump has shown some interest in the proposal.