3 Key Files on Europe's Agenda for a High-Stakes Meeting with Trump

In a significant diplomatic move that signals European unity and concern, several European leaders are joining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington for a critical meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Their agenda is focused on three main objectives, particularly after Trump's recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which raised alarms in European capitals. During that summit, Trump appeared to soften his stance on potential sanctions against Russia and advocated for a permanent peace deal in Ukraine rather than an initial ceasefire, a position more aligned with Moscow's.

The European Delegation's Goals

The European leaders’ presence is a clear attempt to rally Washington behind Ukraine and ensure that Trump’s goals align with Europe’s. A senior European diplomat, speaking anonymously, stated that the main goal is to support Zelenskyy and ensure the consistency of Trump's and Europe's objectives. These objectives include:

1. Security Guarantees

With a potential scenario where the conflict ends without Ukraine gaining NATO membership, Kyiv is insisting on security assurances to reduce the chances of future attacks or invasions. According to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed that Europe and the U.S. could provide such security guarantees, similar to NATO's Article 5, which stipulates that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

However, a European Union official noted that while "NATO-like Article 5 security guarantees are good, it's unclear what they would entail in practice." Former U.S. diplomat James Bendanagle clarified that these guarantees would allow for the presence of Western forces in Ukraine—outside the NATO framework—to respond to any ceasefire violations.

2. Halting the Fighting

Putin has reportedly demanded that Ukraine withdraw from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east and has expressed Moscow’s willingness to freeze the front lines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south.

Kyiv, however, continues to flatly reject any deal that would involve territorial concessions. Last week, Zelenskyy emphasized that such a retreat would be a "launching pad" for a new Russian offensive in the future. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed Europe's stance, stating that as long as the bloodshed in Ukraine continues, the EU will maintain diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, including speeding up preparations for the nineteenth sanctions package scheduled for early September.

3. A Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy Meeting

Another goal the Europeans are pursuing in Washington is to secure the White House’s support for a trilateral meeting involving Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy. While Trump had previously discussed the possibility of a summit with the Russian and Ukrainian leaderships, he has not mentioned it since the recent Alaska summit. The European leaders' push for this meeting highlights their belief that direct dialogue is essential for a lasting resolution.

Why the Urgency?

European officials are still keenly aware of Zelenskyy's contentious appearance in the Oval Office last February, where Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, publicly criticized him for not showing enough gratitude for U.S. support. This time, the presence of leaders like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who have close ties to Trump, suggests a more coordinated and proactive European approach to manage the relationship and influence the U.S. president's decisions on a matter of critical importance to the continent.