Following a tense meeting at the White House on Friday, where President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the ongoing conflict, European leaders quickly reaffirmed their call for an immediate cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. Their statement emphasized that any negotiations should begin from the current front lines.
Adding to the diplomatic stalemate, Russia postponed scheduled meetings with U.S. officials, further dimming prospects for a pause in hostilities.
Notably, European leaders framed their support for Ukraine’s stance using language that also complimented President Trump, a common diplomatic approach they utilize.
The joint statement, endorsed by President Zelensky and 11 European leaders from nations like Britain, Finland, France, Germany, and the European Union, declared: “We fully endorse President Trump’s view that the conflict must cease immediately, and that peace talks should commence based on the existing battlefronts.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s stance remains unyielding. President Vladimir Putin insists that for any cease-fire to occur, Ukraine must relinquish the portions of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions not currently under Russian occupation. This territory accounts for nearly two percent of Ukraine, doubling Russia’s territorial gains from the past two years of warfare.
President Zelensky firmly rejected any territorial concessions during his meeting with President Trump, reiterating his unwavering position. A day prior, President Putin reportedly contacted President Trump to reiterate his demands and cautioned against providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, according to a high-ranking European official who spoke anonymously due to the delicate nature of the discussions.
President Trump, seemingly keen to replicate his success in brokering a Gaza cease-fire, urged President Zelensky to yield the disputed territory as per President Putin’s demands to halt the violence. However, according to an official with direct knowledge of a call President Zelensky made to European leaders immediately after leaving the White House, Trump ultimately accepted Zelensky’s refusal.
During his debrief with European leaders, President Zelensky revealed that Trump had indeed pressed for territorial concessions, echoing demands made prior to the Alaska summit with Putin. Yet, Trump did not insist on these concessions, instead cautioning that Russia’s superior size could lead to Ukraine’s defeat if no resolution was reached. Zelensky, however, maintained that Ukraine was holding its ground. Notably, no Tomahawk missiles were offered by President Trump.
The European official characterized Friday’s discussions as unfavorable for both Ukraine and Europe, though less detrimental than the prior Alaska meeting. Ultimately, because President Trump did not enforce Ukrainian concessions, the situation largely remained unchanged.
Contrarily, President Trump publicly described the meeting as amicable and explicitly denied demanding any territorial cessions from Ukraine. He later posted on social media: “Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts. They should stop where they are.”
On Sunday, while speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump reiterated this stance: “We believe they should simply halt at the current battle lines. Further negotiations become extremely difficult if you start stipulating, ‘You take this, we take that.’”
President Zelensky, for his part, publicly painted a positive picture of the meeting. He stated on Sunday: “After extensive discussions lasting over two hours with him and his team, I believe his message is positive: we maintain our position on the front line.”
An EU diplomat, informed about a subsequent meeting with a Ukrainian official, confirmed that while no breakthroughs were achieved in the Trump-Zelensky talks, neither was there any regression in Ukraine’s position.
Ultimately, the meeting yielded minimal change, evoking a “profound sense of déjà vu,” according to Lawrence Freedman, an emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London. The most tangible outcome was a proposal for another summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest, with preparations to be handled by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
However, Moscow promptly delayed the proposed Rubio-Lavrov meeting on Tuesday, asserting that even their preliminary discussions required more extensive preparation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “We need preparation, serious preparation. This may take time. That’s why, in fact, no exact dates were initially set” for any meeting.
Professor Freedman highlighted a persistent fundamental disagreement: President Trump advocates for a cease-fire as a precursor to any political resolution, while President Putin demands a political settlement first.
Given the contested nature of the front lines, Freedman added, even initiating cease-fire negotiations would be inherently complex.
Trump had floated the idea to Zelensky of a trilateral meeting in Budapest, with him mediating between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders. Yet, as Zelensky informed the Europeans, no firm plans were established.
Despite President Trump’s past threats to intensify pressure on Putin for a cease-fire, such actions have not materialized. Nonetheless, Ukrainian and other European officials remain convinced that only substantial U.S. pressure can persuade Putin that prolonging the war is ultimately detrimental to his interests.
In their Tuesday statement, European leaders pledged continued support for Ukraine, emphasizing, “We must escalate economic and defense industry pressure on Russia until Putin is prepared to pursue peace.”
Jeanna Smialek contributed reporting from Brussels.