Ukraine's European allies are developing a plan to strengthen President Volodymyr Zelensky's position in negotiations with US President Donald Trump. According to Politico, several influential European politicians who have authority and established contacts with Trump may travel to Washington with the Ukrainian leader.
According to two European diplomats and a source familiar with the situation, the possibility of the participation of the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, is being considered. He is considered one of Trump's "favorite interlocutors" and could help avoid escalation during the dialogue.
The delegation will also likely be joined by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who maintains close contacts with the American president.
Europe and Ukraine fear that Trump may accept Vladimir Putin's demands, including the transfer of occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia. That is why the allies are trying to maintain influence over the negotiation process.
Camille Grand, a former senior NATO official, noted that “the results of the Alaska meeting worried Europe because Trump believed a significant part of Putin’s arguments.” At that time, the American president abandoned the announced sanctions against Russia and moved from the idea of an immediate ceasefire to a comprehensive agreement, using rhetoric close to the Kremlin’s.
Publicly, Kyiv and European capitals are optimistic, but unofficially, diplomats acknowledge concerns. They believe that Putin's return to the global negotiating format gives him the appearance of legitimacy without real steps towards peace.
“ The Europeans want to try to influence the process as much as possible because they don’t want to leave the initiative to Putin ,” emphasized former NATO official Giuseppe Spatafora.
After the meeting in Alaska, Trump invited Zelensky to the United States to discuss next steps. The Ukrainian president has already confirmed preparations for the visit.
French leader Emmanuel Macron previously stressed that Europe must be involved in the negotiations on Ukraine, because the security of the entire continent depends on it.
