A high-stakes week in Washington opened as President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine arrived at the White House flanked by key European allies, seeking to prevent Donald Trump from cutting a deal with Vladimir Putin that could leave Ukraine cornered. After his Alaska summit with Putin, Trump abandoned the notion of a ceasefire-first approach, instead pressing for a “final settlement” that would see Kyiv cede the Donbas in exchange for Western security guarantees. For Zelensky, such a plan risks locking in Russia’s gains, weakening Ukraine’s defenses, and splitting transatlantic unity.

A New “Peace” Framework

Trump’s post-Anchorage messaging marked a clear break from his earlier calls for an immediate ceasefire. “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war… almost immediately,” Trump declared, adding bluntly that there would be “NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE.” His envoy, Steve Witkoff, outlined a plan in which Ukraine would receive “Article 5-like language” from the U.S. and its partners, though outside NATO structures.

Putin, according to European diplomats briefed on the proposal, is demanding that Ukraine fully withdraw from Donbas. Russia would then pledge not to attack again, while retaining its existing gains in southern and eastern Ukraine. Trump has urged Zelensky to consider this “deal,” but the Ukrainian leader has refused, insisting: “We will not leave the Donbas.”

Zelensky’s Red Lines

Zelensky entered Washington determined to resist any framework that trades territory for guarantees. “Peace must be lasting,” he said, warning that Russia had exploited past concessions — like the 2014 Minsk agreements — as “a springboard for a new attack.”

The Ukrainian president has repeatedly emphasized that his constitution forbids ceding sovereign land. He has also underlined the need for a ceasefire before any talks, rejecting what he calls negotiations “under the pressure of weapons.”

Europe’s Show of Unity

To avoid another Oval Office fiasco like in February — when Trump temporarily froze U.S. arms and intelligence assistance to Kyiv — European leaders are standing shoulder to shoulder with Zelensky.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Britain’s Keir Starmer, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen all joined Zelensky in Washington. NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, also traveled for the meeting.

Von der Leyen welcomed U.S. willingness to provide guarantees but stressed that “borders cannot be changed by force.” She added that Ukraine must be armed into a “steel porcupine” capable of deterring further aggression.

U.S. Debate: Security Guarantees or Empty Promises?

The proposed “Article 5-like” guarantees remain vague. Would they require U.S. congressional approval? Would European parliaments ratify them? Who would enforce them if Russia attacked again? Even Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stopped short of endorsing the deal, saying only that a ceasefire “is still on the table” as a potential first step.

Skeptics warn that guarantees without NATO membership could prove unenforceable, leaving Ukraine trapped between concessions to Russia and vague Western pledges. Supporters counter that the guarantees might be the only politically viable path forward in Washington, where Republican lawmakers remain divided over long-term military aid.

In Kyiv: Fear of a “Peace That Ends Peace”

In Ukraine, fears are mounting that Trump’s “peace” risks becoming what analysts call “a peace that ends peace” — a settlement that halts fighting temporarily but plants the seeds of a deadlier war later. Many Ukrainians accept that Crimea and much of Donbas may remain under de facto Russian occupation for now. But polls consistently show overwhelming opposition to surrendering additional land still under Ukrainian control.

Key Quotes

• Trump: “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war… almost immediately… NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE.”
• Zelensky: “Peace must be lasting… Russia must end this war, which it itself started.”
• Ursula von der Leyen: “Ukraine must be armed into a steel porcupine.”
• Steve Witkoff: The U.S. and partners could offer “Article 5-like language” for Ukraine.

What Comes Next

• Whether Trump, Putin, and Zelensky move toward a three-way meeting this week — or whether Europeans can push talks back to ceasefire-first.
• The specifics of any U.S.–EU guarantee: trigger clauses, legal status, and enforcement.
• How Kyiv balances battlefield defense with political resistance to territorial concessions.

Trump’s shift after the Alaska summit reflects his personal diplomacy style — dramatic, unilateral, and rooted in the belief that bold deals can override structural realities. But this approach risks repeating history: the 1938 Munich Agreement, the 1973 Vietnam ceasefire, and the 2014 Minsk accords all froze conflicts temporarily while sowing the seeds of future wars.

For Europe, the stakes are clear. Any settlement that weakens Ukraine’s sovereignty threatens the security architecture built since 1945. By flying en masse to Washington, Europe’s leaders are signaling that this is not just about Ukraine — it is about the future of European order itself.