Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, bolstered by the presence of key European leaders seeking to prevent pressure on Kyiv to accept Russian terms for peace.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said: “Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honour to host them!”

Accompanying Zelensky are German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The gathering comes days after Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Moscow demanded Ukraine surrender its claim to Crimea and pledge never to join NATO. European capitals fear Trump could push Zelensky toward those concessions, which they view as undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Macron stressed that the meeting’s purpose is to project unity. “If we show weakness today in front of Russia, we are laying the ground for future conflicts,” he said on Sunday. Ahead of the trip, leaders also held a “coalition of the willing” video conference to align positions.

Germany’s government noted the agenda will include territorial integrity, long-term security guarantees, and continued military aid, alongside maintaining sanctions pressure on Moscow.

Despite these efforts, Trump has repeatedly argued that Zelensky could end the war quickly by accepting Crimea as Russian territory and renouncing NATO membership. “President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote on Sunday.

The high-stakes White House talks are expected to clarify Washington’s role in any eventual peace framework while testing Europe’s united front behind Ukraine.