European Leaders Rush to Washington to Shield Ukraine from Strategic Capitulation

In a surprising diplomatic turn, European leaders have swiftly traveled to Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Their goal: to prevent what they fear could be a strategic capitulation of Ukraine following Trump’s recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Photograph: Reuters

Trump’s Abrupt Shift Raises Alarms

President Trump has reportedly dropped calls for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for peace talks and signaled reluctance to impose further sanctions on Russia. This shift has alarmed European officials, who believe it undermines months of coordinated Western strategy and tilts the balance in favor of Moscow.

“This Is About Europe’s Security”

European leaders—including Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, and Ursula von der Leyen—have emphasized that the issue at hand is not only Ukraine’s sovereignty but the broader security of the European continent.

“This is fundamentally about the security of our continent,” a British diplomat told reporters.

The delegation aims to persuade the White House that any peace deal must include robust, enforceable security guarantees—not just verbal commitments—and that territorial concessions cannot be separated from long-term stability.

Seeking a Unified Framework

Diplomats are reportedly working to slow down negotiations and steer discussions toward a more structured framework. Ideas include a future trilateral summit involving Trump, Zelensky, and Putin, and the establishment of guiding principles for any final agreement.

A Moment of High Risk

European officials describe the current situation as “extremely dangerous,” with fears that pushing Trump too hard could backfire. The urgency of the visit reflects the scale of concern over Ukraine’s future and the potential ripple effects across Europe.

Source: BBC