The White House is set to host an extraordinary day of diplomacy as global leaders gather for urgent talks on Ukraine, in what has quickly evolved from a two-man meeting into a full-scale summit.
Originally planned as a sit-down between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the talks will now include leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO. Their presence underscores growing European unease over Washington’s shifting stance on the three-year conflict with Russia.
At the heart of the discussions lies a stark divide. Trump, who campaigned on the promise of swiftly resolving the war, has yet to deliver the breakthrough he once pledged. Recent signs suggest his priority is securing a deal rather than its specific terms. In a late-night social media post, he warned Zelenskyy to abandon ambitions of NATO membership and accept the loss of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.
Adding to the uncertainty, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff claimed the U.S. would offer new security guarantees to Europe to deter further Russian aggression. However, the lack of clarity around these assurances has fueled speculation about how far Washington is really prepared to go.
Since meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, Trump has softened his criticism of Moscow and shifted pressure squarely onto Kyiv. This leaves Zelenskyy in a precarious position facing demands to cede territory in Donetsk and Luhansk, regions defended at heavy cost by Ukrainian forces since 2022. Such concessions could hand Russia control over vast areas it might later use for renewed offensives.
For Zelenskyy, agreeing to territorial losses is unthinkable without ironclad security guarantees protections once hoped for through NATO membership, but now firmly ruled out by Trump. The shape of any alternative arrangement remains uncertain.
Complicating matters further, Trump appears to have pivoted from advocating a temporary ceasefire to insisting on a full peace deal. That prospect raises fears in Kyiv of drawn-out negotiations, during which Russian bombardments and civilian casualties would continue unabated.
As world leaders convene, each with their own definition of success, the question is whether today’s summit will mark a turning point in the war or leave Ukraine even more vulnerable.
By Faith Mwende
