Zelenskyy met leaders of the UK, France and Germany in London as the Trump administration pressures Ukraine to surrender territory to end the war swiftly.
The discussions on Monday came after several days of conversations between US and Ukrainian officials, which the Ukrainian president described as "constructive, although not easy" and ended on Saturday without any apparent progress.
Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met bilaterally in Downing Street following their earlier meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
In line with Starmer, the Élysée Palace stated that France intended to continue working to give Ukraine strong security assurances, which is a major issue for Kyiv.
As the White House's efforts to push through a peace accord enter a pivotal phase, European leaders rushed to demonstrate sympathy with Ukraine. Merz raised" scepticism" about the US offer, while Starmer emphasized that he" will not be putting pressure" on Zelenskyy to accept a peace deal.
Zelenskyy was listed to meet with elderly NATO officers and Ursula von der Leyen, the chairman of the European Commission, in Brussels following the Downing Street meeting.
Territory remained the most difficult issue, an official in Kyiv acquainted with the negotiations told AFP earlier. Vladimir Putin is unwilling to sign a deal that does not include territory. According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
"they are looking for any options to ensure that Ukraine cedes territory."
“The Americans are pressuring, like ‘faster, faster, faster,’”
the source added, saying that Ukraine “cannot agree to everything without working out the details”.
The most recent talks come after the Trump administration's framework for a peace plan, which many detractors believe favors Russian viewpoints.
On Sunday night, Trump reiterated his stance, implying that Zelenskyy "hasn't yet read the [US] proposal" and asserting without proof that "his people love it."
“And I have to say I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago.”
“Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country, when you think of it, but Russia is, I believe, fine with it,”
Trump said before taking part in the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington.
Prior to their roughly two-hour meeting on Monday, Starmer, Macron, and Merz expressed greater support for Kyiv. Starmer emphasized the necessity of "a just and lasting ceasefire" and stated that the peace movement was at a "critical stage."
Meanwhile, Merz expressed his "scepticism" on certain elements in US-released documents.
“We have to talk about it. That’s why we are here,”
he said.
“The coming days … could be a decisive time for all of us.”
According to a recent survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, the majority of Ukrainians are still against territorial concessions, which contradicts Trump's assertion that the Ukrainian public supports his plan.
Rustem Umerov, the lead negotiator for Kyiv, stated that Zelenskyy would receive all documents pertaining to the peace proposal on Monday and be told about his team's discussion with US authorities.
The US has been attempting to push through a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow following the Trump-backed ceasefire in Gaza.
There is little indication that either Russia or Ukraine will sign the framework agreement drafted by Trump's negotiating team, despite US officials claiming they are nearing an accord.
Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper, the British foreign secretary, is scheduled to see her US counterpart, Marco Rubio, in Washington on Monday. The Foreign Office in London announced Cooper's travel by saying,
"The UK and US will reaffirm their commitment to reaching a peace deal in Ukraine."
The release of a new US national security plan, which frightened European leaders and was welcomed by Russia, preceded the European discussions on Ukraine.
The statement, which outlines the administration's primary foreign policy objectives, is broadly consistent with Moscow's perspective, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The White House letter, which was made public on Friday, stated that ending the war was a fundamental US interest in "re-establishing strategic stability with Russia" and that the US intended to strengthen ties with Russia after years of Moscow being considered as a global outcast.
In line with another of Russia's grievances, the memo stated that NATO should not be "a perpetually expanding alliance." It was critical of the free speech and immigration policies of longstanding US allies in Europe, implying that migration poses a "prospect of civilizational erasure" to them.
In exchange for security guarantees that fell short of Kyiv's ambitions to join NATO, Washington's original plan to resolve the almost four-year conflict called for Ukraine to cede territory that Russia had failed to gain on the battlefield.
The negotiations have moved slowly despite Trump and his team's best efforts, with disagreements over security guarantees for Kyiv and the status of Russian-occupied land remaining unresolved.
A European peacekeeping mission would play a "vital role" in ensuring the nation's security, according to Starmer, who has frequently emphasized that Ukraine must decide its own destiny.
The Russian president stated last week that parts of Trump's plan were impractical and has not formally endorsed the White House approach. Last week, US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Putin at the Kremlin, but they were unable to make any clear progress.
“The American representatives know the basic Ukrainian positions,”
Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Sunday.
Since taking office again, Trump's relationship with Zelenskyy has been tumultuous. He has urged the Ukrainians to give up land to Russia in order to stop a conflict that he claims has claimed far too many lives.
What security guarantees did Europe offer Ukraine in London?
European leaders at the December 8, 2025 London peak offered Ukraine" hard- edged security guarantees" including sustained military presence near borders, robust air defense systems, long- term munitions inventories, intelligence sharing, and integration into EU/ NATO defense structures like the European Defence Fund, as part of a" coalition of the willing" led by UK/ France/ Germany to annul US pressure for territorial concessions.
France/ UK lead" consolation force" with Sweden Denmark/ Belgium/ Lithuania benefactions for covering ceasefires; Poland/ Italy/ Germany more conservative. Multi-year backing via European Peace Facility for training (15,000 soldiers), drones, and Ukrainian defense assistance investment.
EU Council decision treating aggression against Ukraine as against an unborn member, with warrants profitable responses; Starmer/ Macron emphasized ratification for credibility. Zelenskyy rejected deals without these, prioritizing EU class path amid Trump demands for quick peace via ceding Donbas/ Crimea.