London, Britain – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking to strengthen Kyiv’s negotiating position by trying to find common ground with European leaders, following his description of recent talks his team held in Miami with US representatives as “constructive but not easy”.
Zelensky’s move towards Europe comes at a critical juncture for the future of peace talks on the war in Ukraine, especially after former US President Donald Trump expressed his “disappointment” that the Ukrainian president had not read the revised peace proposal.
Miami talks: “Constructive but not easy”
In his speech last night, Zelensky described the talks his team had with Trump’s representatives as “constructive, but not easy,” stressing that the American mediators were “well aware of Ukraine’s basic positions.”
Zelensky is scheduled to receive a detailed briefing in London from Kyiv’s chief negotiator, Rustam Umarov, and all documents relating to the peace plan, in response to Trump’s claims that Zelensky had not yet read the proposal, despite his aides having approved it.
A crucial meeting in London to coordinate positions
The Ukrainian president is visiting London today for a series of important meetings with European leaders. He is expected to participate in a joint meeting at Downing Street with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
This will be followed by a one-on-one meeting with Starmer, then a European video conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, before he departs for Brussels.
The talks are expected to focus on a peace plan to unify a solid European position, with Europeans agreeing to continue supporting Ukrainian defenses in light of ongoing Russian attacks.
Starmer has repeatedly stressed that a European peacekeeping force could play a “vital role” in Ukraine’s security.
Ukrainian peace conditions
In his closing statement, the Ukrainian president stressed that the peace his country deserves “will depend entirely on Russia – on the collective pressure we exert on it, and on the firm negotiating positions of the United States, Europe and all our other partners.”
Zelensky added: “Russia must be held accountable for its actions—for its daily attacks, for the ongoing terror it inflicts on our people, and for the war itself.”
Zelensky’s European tour comes as he is expected to be briefed on the details of the discussions between the Americans and Russians in Moscow, and on the amendments Washington is considering as part of its revised peace proposal.
