Zelensky to Meet European Leaders in London for Ukraine Peace Talks

Ukraine Peace Negotiations Drive High-Level Talks in London

President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with European leaders in London on Monday to discuss ongoing peace negotiations related to the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting will include British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Discussions are expected to focus on potential peace agreements and future security arrangements for Ukraine.

The London meeting follows recent talks in Florida involving Ukraine's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, and US officials, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These discussions centered on a US-backed draft peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict.

US President Donald Trump commented on Sunday regarding the draft plan, stating that President Zelensky reportedly had not yet reviewed it. Trump stated, "His people love it... [Russia] would rather have the whole country when you think of it, but Russia is, I believe, fine with it - but I'm not sure that Zelensky is fine with it."

President Zelensky indicated he would be briefed on the negotiations by Umerov upon his arrival in London or Brussels. He characterized earlier discussions with Witkoff and Kushner as "constructive, though not easy," adding that "some issues can only be discussed in person."

The London talks will also address mechanisms to ensure Ukraine's future security. The UK and France have been leading efforts to establish a "coalition of the willing," potentially a Multinational Force Ukraine, to provide future defense support. Diplomatic sources have indicated such a force would offer defense assistance rather than policing a ceasefire line or acting as an impartial peacekeeping entity.

Germany, Italy, and Poland have pledged various forms of defense assistance to Ukraine but have expressed reservations about deploying troops on the ground within the country.

Negotiations remain complex, particularly concerning territorial concessions. The US-backed proposal reportedly includes provisions for Ukraine to withdraw forces from eastern regions that Russia has partially occupied, in exchange for Russian withdrawals elsewhere and a cessation of hostilities.

Another significant point of contention involves the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, which is currently under Russian control and has experienced periods of military activity. An early draft of the US-backed plan reportedly suggested splitting its future energy generation between Ukraine and Russia.

According to Keith Kellogg, Trump's outgoing special envoy for Ukraine, a deal is nearing completion, but talks on these specific elements are ongoing. Witkoff also held five hours of in-person discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, but a definitive breakthrough has not yet been announced.