Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German opposition leader Friedrich Merz in London on Monday, seeking to reinforce European support amid fraught contacts with Donald Trump’s circle over potential peace terms. The gathering comes as Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid and as Trump and his advisers signal they may push for a swift deal that Kyiv fears would come at the expense of its territorial integrity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in London for discussions with key European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Christian Democratic Union leader Friedrich Merz, who is a leading contender to become Germany’s next chancellor. NPR reports that the London talks, centered at 10 Downing Street, are aimed at shoring up what Starmer has called a European "coalition of the willing" backing Kyiv, following Zelenskyy’s recent visits to Paris and Dublin, where he sought long‑term security and economic support.
This stepped‑up European diplomacy follows recent, inconclusive contacts between Zelenskyy and associates of former U.S. President Donald Trump in Miami, including real estate developer and Trump fundraiser Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner, according to NPR’s reporting on the talks. Zelenskyy has described his conversation with Trump’s envoys as substantive and constructive, but NPR notes that no concrete progress emerged toward a detailed U.S. peace proposal reportedly being discussed within Trump’s circle.
According to NPR, Ukrainian and Western officials are concerned that some ideas floated around Trump’s advisers would tilt toward Russia’s interests by limiting security guarantees for Ukraine, pressuring Kyiv to accept the loss of occupied territories and imposing constraints that could complicate or delay future NATO membership. Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected any plan that would require formal territorial concessions or curtail Ukraine’s right to choose its own security alliances.
While these political maneuvers unfold, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Recent barrages of drones and missiles have struck power facilities across the country, causing significant damage to the grid, blackouts and civilian injuries, according to Ukrainian authorities cited by NPR and other international outlets. The latest strikes coincided with the period when Trump’s associates were in contact with Zelenskyy’s team, underscoring Moscow’s continued effort to pressure Kyiv militarily even as peace discussions are debated abroad.
Doubts over U.S. staying power have grown in Europe following Trump’s public criticism of longstanding security arrangements with NATO allies and his mixed signals on future support for Ukraine. In comments reported by NPR, Donald Trump Jr., speaking at a conference in Doha, suggested his father would seek a rapid end to the war if he returns to the White House and praised Trump’s reputation for unpredictability as a negotiating tool. He also echoed broader criticism of corruption in Ukraine, though NPR notes that Zelenskyy himself is not accused of wrongdoing in ongoing domestic investigations involving some officials and business figures.
European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, have repeatedly insisted that any eventual peace deal must uphold Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and its right to self‑defense. Macron has condemned recent Russian strikes on civilian and energy targets as escalatory and has stressed that Europe must remain closely coordinated with Washington while also building up its own capacity to support Ukraine. Current European discussions include measures to expand defense production, deepen EU‑Ukraine integration and make greater use of revenue from frozen Russian sovereign assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction and defense, though any move to mobilize the full value of those assets faces legal and political resistance among some member states.