Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet European leaders at a vital summit in London on Sunday, after his extraordinary argument with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office left Western allies reeling and threw the future of the Russia-Ukraine war into deep uncertainty.
King Charles has also accepted an invitation to meet Zelensky on Sunday, the Ukrainian leader said.
Zelensky landed in Britain on Saturday ahead of the talks, which the West hopes will revive momentum towards an acceptable peace deal that had appeared to be slowly building this week, only to come crashing down in a nasty few minutes on Friday.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Zelensky met at Downing Street on Saturday where the two men signed an agreement to accelerate $2.8 billion worth of loans to Ukraine. The first tranche of funding is expected to be disbursed next week, according to the UK government.
But the leaders at Sunday’s summit – which includes presidents and prime ministers from across Europe, convened by Starmer – will have a difficult challenge ahead of them.
“It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support,” Zelensky said in a series of posts on X on Saturday morning. “He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do.”
“We’ve been fighting for three years, and Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side,” he said.
The spectacle of the American president and vice president berating the leader of a war-torn ally stunned Europe and would have delighted the Kremlin. It added intensity to Sunday’s summit, which had initially sought to build on the progress achieved during a similar meeting in Paris last weekend.
Trump and JD Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for American military support, for “gambling with the lives of millions of people,” and risking “World War III” by fighting Russia’s invading army in his country.
The scenes were Europe’s worst nightmare. One day before the shouting match, a chummy Starmer managed to get Trump to walk back previous false remarks that Zelensky was a “dictator,” voice his “respect” for Ukraine’s leader and even raise the possibility that Ukraine would claw back occupied territory from Russia in a ceasefire deal. All of those comments were notable reversals from Trump, and seemed to set the table well for Zelensky’s trip.
Now Europe is starting from square one again.
“Three years on from Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we are at a turning point. Today I will reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine and double down on my commitment to provide capacity, training and aid to Ukraine, putting it in the strongest possible position,” Starmer said in a statement ahead of the London summit.
“In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees, alongside continued discussions with the United States,” he said. “Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security, and secure our collective future.”
The summit will have three goals, Downing Street said: Ukraine’s short-term needs, securing a “lasting deal” to end the conflict, and “planning for strong security guarantees.”
As European leaders rushed to reaffirm their support for Zelensky on Friday evening, Starmer was noticeably silent. A few hours later, we learned why: Downing Street said he had spoken to Trump and Zelensky following their heated encounter. “He retains his unwavering support for Ukraine and is playing his part to find a path forward to a lasting peace, based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine,” Starmer’s spokesperson said.
The role of interlocutor between the Europe and the White House is one Starmer is taking seriously, even – perhaps especially – when it seems futile. It is one he will hope can reap rewards this weekend, but an increasing sense of desperation is setting in.
Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a Ukrainian member of parliament, wrote on Telegram ahead of the meetings in London: “If you thought the situation would somehow miraculously improve today… don’t count on it.”