“At the request of President Zelenskyy, I will join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow,” von der Leyen stated, before hosting the Ukrainian leader in Brussels for a virtual summit of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of European countries advocating continued support for Kyiv.
Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for the German government, said the purpose of Monday’s Oval Office visit “is to exchange information with … Trump following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.”
“Chancellor Merz will discuss the status of peace efforts with the heads of state and government and emphasize Germany’s interest in a quick peace agreement in Ukraine,” the spokesman added.
The meeting was organized by Trump after his talks with Putin in Alaska on Friday, where he mentioned that the two sides had reached consensus “on many points” but did not provide a detailed peace plan. A meeting originally intended to be bilateral with Zelenskyy has been portrayed by the U.S. administration as a possible precursor to a three-way negotiation involving Putin.
Diplomats informed POLITICO on Saturday that they anticipate European leaders accompanying Zelenskyy to ensure crucial boundaries are respected and that Ukraine is not compelled to relinquish territory as part of a deal.
Trump invited Zelenskyy to the White House after a meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday did not yield any significant progress.
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