Trump to see Zelenskyy first, European leaders after, on Monday

(NewsNation) — Details have emerged about how the White House will engage Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders who support efforts to end the Russian invasion.

President Trump and Zelenskyy will have a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office first, followed by a larger meeting that includes the European leaders, according to information provided to NewsNation by two sources.

Vice President JD Vance will be at the Trump-Zelenskyy bilateral meeting, one of the sources said. The last time Zelenskyy was alone with Trump and Vance at the White House, in February, the result was explosive: A diplomatic session about potentially ending the Ukraine war went off the rails, with Vance accusing Zelenskyy of being ungrateful for American support.

The European leaders heading to Washington with Zelenskyy — among them, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — had sought to prevent another disaster while showing their support for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy was excluded from Friday’s summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two met privately about conditions that would end the war. Ukraine and its European allies want a say in what peace would look like.

In a notable departure from European allies, Trump backed away from the idea of an urgent ceasefire before a sweeping peace agreement is hammered out. Critics say that gives Russia leave to continue trying to capture Ukrainian territory as the process drags out.

Putin has been reluctant to meet with Zelenskyy, saying the timing is not right.