Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European leaders in Brussels, Belgium, as his nation faces continued attacks from Russia and growing pressure from the US to enter peace negotiations. The Ukrainian president’s visit comes at a difficult moment, following an open-ended pause on all military aid and intelligence sharing imposed by the White House to force Kyiv into negotiating a peace deal with Moscow.
Zelenskyy has expressed his willingness to engage in the U.S.-facilitated peace process and sign a minerals sharing deal. However, the Ukrainian president’s team has stated that they hope for a meaningful meeting next week. Andrii Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’s office, is set to meet with US officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
European leaders have rallied to Zelenskyy’s defense, warning that peace in Ukraine is not possible without American backing. The UK and France have said they will work with Kyiv to present a peace deal to the US. Trump’s administration has been reluctant to offer security guarantees to Kyiv as part of a peace deal with Russia.
Fresh tranches of assistance for Ukraine were announced by European nations ahead of Zelenskyy’s arrival in Brussels, including $3.8 billion from the Netherlands and $700 million from Norway. The meeting between Zelenskyy and EU leaders focused on strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities and increasing sanctions pressure on Russia.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/zelenskyy-arrives-emergency-europe-summit-amid-pressure-us/story?id=119503760