Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet European allies in London as he faces pointed criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump over a proposed plan to end the war with Russia. The diplomatic push follows several days of talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Miami that ended without a breakthrough but with a pledge to keep negotiating.
Zelensky will be received in London by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron for discussions focused on the negotiations and the shape of potential security guarantees for Kyiv. In a parallel effort to align trans-Atlantic positions, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected in Washington to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Advertisement -
After the Miami talks, Zelensky said he joined his negotiators for what he called a “very substantive and constructive” call with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that the parties agreed “on the next steps and the format of the talks with America.”
Trump publicly rebuked Zelensky, telling reporters he was “a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal,” saying that was still the case as of a few hours earlier. Since returning to office in January, Trump has alternated between praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and pressure on Moscow, including sanctions on Russian oil firms. He has also voiced frustration that his personal diplomacy, including a summit in Alaska, has yet to yield an end to the war.
The U.S. envoys last week met Putin at the Kremlin, and Moscow rejected parts of Washington’s proposal, underscoring the gulf that remains. Macron, ahead of the London meeting, criticized what he called Russia’s “escalatory path” and vowed to keep working with the United States to secure binding protections for Ukraine. “We will continue these efforts with the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which no robust and lasting peace will be possible,” he wrote on X. “We must continue to exert pressure on Russia to compel it to choose peace.”
At the heart of the talks is an initial U.S. plan that envisions Ukraine ceding territory Russia has failed to seize militarily in exchange for security commitments that stop short of full NATO membership. Key elements of those guarantees remain opaque. One early concept floated basing fighter jets in Poland to bolster the defense of Kyiv, but officials have not detailed how broader safeguards would be triggered or enforced.
The London consultations mark an effort to align European leaders behind a unified response as Kyiv weighs a proposal that carries significant military, political and territorial implications. Zelensky’s government has signaled it will keep talking with Washington while coordinating closely with European partners. Cooper’s trip to Washington is expected to focus on closing gaps with the U.S. side as negotiators work through contested points.
Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, the diplomatic track remains fluid and fraught. Ukraine continues to seek durable security guarantees and sustained Western backing, while Russia has shown little sign it is prepared to accept terms that would restore Kyiv’s sovereignty across all occupied regions. With no timetable set and positions still hardening, the immediate outcome of this latest round of shuttle diplomacy may hinge on whether Washington and European capitals can agree on a framework Zelensky can accept—and Moscow cannot easily unravel.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
