Are European leaders travelling to the White Home to forestall Trump from bullying Zelenskyy?

In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White Home solely to be berated by his American hosts after which he was abruptly requested to depart the White Home.

The assembly, six months in the past, has gone down in historical past as, maybe, one of the vital disgraceful episodes in modern-day diplomacy — a nationwide chief was humiliated in entrance of the cameras in a grilling that the US president mentioned afterwards would make good tv.

Now, Zelenskyy is heading again to the White Home right this moment (August 18). Nonetheless, he gained’t be alone, as an array of European prime ministers and presidents are becoming a member of him to fulfill US President Donald Trump on the White Home to be sure that Ukraine’s safety pursuits are maintained after Trump-Putin’s Alaska summit.

Who’s going to accompany Zelenskyy? What’s at stake? We’ve the solutions for you.

Why is Zelenskyy heading to Washington right this moment?

The assembly on the White Home between
Trump and Zelenskyy comes after the US president’s
Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15. Whereas the 2 leaders billed that assembly as historic, it did not provide you with any instant answer to the warfare, which has now dragged on for three-and-a-half years.

Zelenskyy first headed to Brussels over the weekend to fulfill with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, a prime EU chief, and maintain a video name with the opposite leaders to arrange for the assembly with Trump on the White Home.

“It’s crucial that you’re with us and that we converse to America collectively,” Zelenskyy mentioned in Brussels, standing alongside von der Leyen. “It’s essential that Europe is as united now because it was on the very starting—because it was in 2022,” when Russia staged its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy mentioned. “This unity actually helps encourage actual peace and it should keep sturdy.”

Who’s going with Zelenskyy to Washington?

Following his assembly in Brussels, Zelenskyy will now head to Washington, DC. Nonetheless, he gained’t be alone.

Accompanying the Ukrainian chief might be UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who many think about to be the ‘Trump whisperer’. There’s additionally Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron in addition to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Fee president, might be a reminder of Europe’s mixed significance as an financial juggernaut, as The Guardian reported.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will even attend the assembly as will Finland’s President Alexander Stubb. Nato’s Secretary Normal Mark Rutte will even be accompanying Zelenskyy to the Oval Workplace right this moment.

Retired French Normal Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France’s navy mission on the United Nations, informed Sky Information that the rationale the European leaders have been travelling with Zelenskyy is as a result of they’re “very afraid of the
Oval Workplace scene being repeated and they also need to assist Zelenskyy to the hilt.”

“It’s an influence battle and a place of power which may work with Trump,” he added.

What’s going to all of the leaders talk about on the White Home right this moment?

The European leaders accompanying Zelenskyy to the White Home right this moment need to be certain that US President Trump has not pivoted too near the Russian aspect, and doesn’t attempt to strong-arm Zelenskyy right into a deal.

Even European diplomats, who selected to stay nameless, informed media shops that the European leaders need to keep away from a scene just like the one which passed off in February when Zelenskyy met with Trump in entrance of tv cameras on the White Home.

At that assembly, Trump rebuked the Ukrainian president, saying “you don’t have the playing cards” within the warfare — primarily telling Ukraine to bend to Russia’s calls for. The US president did so once more on Friday night time, after Putin flew again to Russia, telling a Fox Information interviewer that Ukraine was going to have to grasp that Russia was a extra “highly effective” nation, and that energy meant Zelenskyy was going to must make concessions.

Even earlier than Zelenskyy and his European allies made their strategy to the American capital,
Trump indicated that the Ukrainian chief should conform to a few of Russia’s situations for the warfare in Ukraine to finish.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can finish the warfare with Russia nearly instantly, if he needs to, or he can proceed to battle,” Trump wrote on social media. “Keep in mind the way it began. No getting again Obama given Crimea (12 years in the past, with no shot being fired!), and no going into Nato by Ukraine. Some issues by no means change!!!”

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio additionally rejected the notion that the Europeans have been coming to guard Zelenskyy from a repeat of the February shouting match. “They’re not coming right here to maintain Zelenskyy from getting bullied,” Rubio informed CBS. “They’re coming right here tomorrow as a result of we’ve been working with the Europeans,” he mentioned, itemizing the numerous conferences the US had engaged in earlier than and after the Putin go to. “We invited them to return.”

It’s anticipated that the leaders will even sit down right this moment to debate territorial questions, together with Russia’s demand for Ukraine to cede Donetsk and Luhansk. They’re additionally anticipated to handle safety ensures for Ukraine, which may very well be backed by US air energy.

The position of Nato and European allies in imposing a settlement is more likely to be mentioned, alongside sanction pressures on Russia. The European leaders additionally need that Ukraine is on the desk for all negotiations.

The truth is, on the difficulty of land and territory, EU’s Ursula von der Leyen even mentioned on Sunday, “With reference to any territorial questions in Ukraine, our place is evident: worldwide borders can’t be modified by power.

“These are selections to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone, and these selections can’t be taken with out Ukraine on the desk.”

There additionally could be discussions on organising a trilateral between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy within the close to future.

What does Russia need?

On the Alaska summit, Putin reportedly acknowledged that Ukraine should give up
Donetsk and Luhansk in full, abandon its Nato aspirations and declare neutrality. He provided to freeze the entrance traces in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Nonetheless, Zelenskyy has rejected any concept of handing over territory to Russia, saying {that a} ceasefire needs to be first instituted.

In accordance with Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, Putin agreed to permit the US and the European allies to supply Ukraine a safety assure. “We have been in a position to win the next concession: That the US might supply Article 5-like safety, which is likely one of the actual the reason why Ukraine needs to be in Nato,” he was quoted as telling CNN.

He added that it “was the primary time we had ever heard the Russians conform to that” and referred to as them “game-changing.”

For the unaware, Article 5 of Nato states that an armed assault in opposition to a number of of the members shall be thought of an assault in opposition to all members.

What occurs right this moment is left to be seen, however as Kim Darroch, who was the UK ambassador to Washington in Trump’s first time period, informed The Guardian: “Historical past might be form to him (Trump) if he delivers a good peace in Ukraine; much less so if he presses for a capitulation.”

With inputs from businesses