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Key Takeaways:

• Trump urged Ukraine to cede Crimea and end its NATO bid in a Truth Social post.
• Zelenskyy arrived with leaders from the EU, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Finland and NATO to present a united front.
• The delegation seeks to avoid a repeat of a tense February Oval Office encounter where Trump chastised Zelenskyy.
• Trump separately said he will issue an executive order eliminating mail-in ballots and voting machines.
• Today’s emergency White House meeting could reshape Ukraine’s war and its Western alliances.

Arrival in Washington
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy touched down in the U.S. capital Monday morning accompanied by an unusually large entourage: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Together, they headed to the White House for a hastily arranged meeting that could determine the next phase of Europe’s bloodiest conflict in decades.

Trump’s Ultimatum on Crimea and NATO
On the eve of the talks, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to lay out what he sees as the fastest route to peace. Ukraine, he wrote, “should give up Crimea and drop its bid to join NATO,” echoing long-standing demands from Russian President Vladimir Putin. By appearing to shift responsibility for ending the war onto Kyiv, Trump placed Zelenskyy under added pressure even before the visitors stepped onto Pennsylvania Avenue.

A United, Cautious Front
The European leaders’ joint arrival is no diplomatic flourish; it is a calculated move to avoid what officials privately call another “February fiasco.” During that earlier Oval Office session, Trump reportedly chastised the Ukrainian president for not showing enough gratitude for American military aid. This time, the guests plan to confront any criticism together—signaling that support for Kyiv stretches well beyond Washington.

Domestic Politics in the Background
Complicating the meeting is America’s own volatile election season. In the same social-media flurry that laid out his terms for Ukraine, Trump declared, “I’ll be issuing an executive order to get rid of mail-in ballots and voting machines.” That promise has little to do with battlefield dynamics but underscores the charged political environment surrounding today’s diplomacy.

What’s at Stake
“Ukraine’s future could be shaped by a last-minute White House meeting today,” the delegation warned in a joint statement before departure. For Zelenskyy, holding the Western line against Russia is existential; for Europe’s leaders, it is about preserving the continent’s security architecture. How—or whether—Trump’s demands alter that calculus will become clear only after the doors to the White House close and the cameras are switched off.

Next Steps
The visiting leaders are expected to brief the press this evening. Until then, allies and adversaries alike will be reading the same set of tea leaves: a social-media post, an executive-order threat, and a motorcade carrying the future of Ukraine through Washington traffic.