Zelenskyy to speak with von der Leyen ahead of Trump meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to consult European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU leaders before he meets President Donald Trump for peace talks in the US on Sunday.

“Security must be ensured by the world’s strongest powers, and we will be discussing this in particular today and tomorrow with European leaders, with the Prime Minister of Canada, and with the President of the United States,” Zelenskyy wrote on X on Saturday morning.

Zelenskyy will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and hold a call with EU leaders during a stopover in Canada en route to Florida, according to AFP. A Commission spokesperson confirmed to Euractiv that von der Leyen will join the call.

Kyiv this week unveiled a 20-point revision of the 28-point peace plan floated by Trump last month. The document, developed by Ukraine in consultation with US officials, opens the door to demilitarised zones in parts of the east – the most far-reaching compromise Kyiv has publicly contemplated since Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022.

The Kremlin has described Ukraine’s counterproposal as a starting point for further negotiations, Bloomberg reported. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday that a final agreement would be impossible “without a proper solution to the problems that are the root cause of the crisis.”

Trump told the New York Post on Friday that he believed there was a “good shot” of reaching a peace deal before the new year. “I think they want to do it now, and I think that Russia wants to do it. But every time one wants to do it, the other doesn’t,” he said.

While European leaders remain excluded from direct negotiations, Kyiv has continued to stress the importance of Europe’s role.

Ahead of Sunday’s meeting, Russia intensified attacks in the Kyiv region, with overnight strikes injuring at least 19 people and killing one, according to Reuters.

(cz)