Russia’s strategy remains “anti-Europeans” and the continent needs to be united in further negotiations to stop Moscow’s full war in Ukraine, President Voldimir Zelensky said after meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Sunday.
Their meeting comes as a series of European leaders announced Monday that they will be taking part in a meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington.
“It is very important that Europe is unified at the beginning,” the Ukrainian leader said in a joint press conference with von der Leyen.
“First, we have to stop the killing… Putin doesn’t want to stop the killing, but he has to do that,” Zelensky emphasized, adding that a ceasefire will need to be launched to tackle a final contract to end the Russian war in Ukraine.
“Putin has a lot of demands, but we don’t know all of them, and if there’s as much as we’ve heard, it’s going to take some time to look into them all. It’s impossible to do this under weapons pressure,” Zelensky said, adding that this will be discussed in Washington.
So we need to have a ceasefire and work quickly on the final contract,” he concluded.
The US president initially said he would discuss the ceasefire with Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Alaska last Friday. He said the ceasefire would allow discussion of deals to end Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
However, after the Alaska Summit, Trump did not mention a possible ceasefire and said he wanted to discuss the deal immediately.
Kiev and Ukraine’s European allies are concerned that this will show that if Russia buys time to continue its attack on Ukraine, it will drag negotiations with the Kremlin’s unrealistic maximalist demands and will not want to stop the war with Ukraine.
“We need real negotiations. So they can start where there is the front line. The contact lines are the best lines to talk about,” Zelenskyy said.
Von Der Leyen: Ukraine must become a steel porcupine
Kiev’s European allies believe they must provide strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe, von der Leyen said.
Furthermore, Ukraine must be able to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and there should be no restrictions on the Ukrainian army.
“Ukraine must become a porcupine of steel that is indigesible to potential invaders,” von der Leyen emphasized on Sunday.
Regarding questions about territorial concessions, von der Leyen has asserted that any decision will remain in the hands of Ukrainians and Ukrainians.
“Our position is clear. International borders cannot be forced to change. These are decisions made by Ukraine and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Europe continues to put pressure on Russia’s war economy, with “a fresh package coming out in September,” she added.
Zelensky arrived in Brussels on Sunday and met with von der Leyen before his trip to Washington on Monday.
The pair will also be willing to take part in the Union virtual meeting with German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer.
Before Sunday’s meeting, von der Leyen said he will join Zelensky at the White House on Monday to participate in a meeting with President Donald Trump, at the request of the Ukrainian president.
The committee’s president noted that other European leaders would also be participating in the conference, but it is still not clear whether they will travel to Washington or effectively participate.
According to Downing Street, Starmer announced he will be attending a meeting with Trump.
The British Prime Minister “is ready to support this next stage of further consultations and will reaffirm that his support for Ukraine will continue as long as it is necessary,” his office said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Berlin said Merz will also travel to the US capital on Monday to participate in the meeting.
“This trip will serve as an exchange of information with President Donald Trump following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska,” a spokesman for the prime minister said.
It is believed that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will also be present. Italian media say Meloni shortened her holiday and prepared her return to Rome on Sunday to travel to the US.
Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Latte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb also confirmed all attendance.
The French presidential office said in a statement on Sunday that the leaders were there to ensure “coordination between Europeans and the United States” “the goal is to reach a fair and lasting peace that protects the key interests of security in Ukraine and Europe.”
Zelenskyy’s White House visit is the first since the dramatic showdown in February in the oval office between Ukrainian leader Trump JD Vance.
The two then said that Zelenskyy was still their “best” exchange for a sit-in conversation at the Vatican during the funeral of the late Pope Francis on April 27th.
