Why is Zelenskyy bringing a posse of European leaders to the US for peace talks?

Why is Zelenskyy bringing a posse of European leaders to the US for peace talks? | World News

A posse of European leaders will join the meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will join the talk “at the request of President Zelenskyy”, adding that she “and other European leaders” will be meeting at the White House on Monday.

Also set to join in are Sir Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

Mr Stubb’s friendship with Mr Trump is said to have blossomed since the pair bonded over their love of golf during a tournament at Mar-a-Lago in March.

Follow the latest developments on the Ukraine war

Mr Stubb previously said that Mr Trump is “the only person who can broker a peace” deal, saying the US president was “the only one that Putin is afraid of”.

Bringing a gang of leaders along could be an attempt by Mr Zelenskyy to prevent a repeat of the infamous Oval Office showdown with Mr Trump and the vice-president, JD Vance, in February.

They were set to discuss a potential ceasefire with Russia and a mineral deal between Ukraine and the US, but their meeting descended into chaos when Mr Vance berated Ukraine’s leader for being insufficiently grateful for US help – in front of the media.

He completed his ambush of Mr Zelenskyy by mocking him for not wearing a suit, with Mr Trump adding that the Ukrainian didn’t “have the cards right now with us”.

The disastrous meeting ended with Mr Zelenskyy prematurely leaving the White House. He later said the bust-up was “not good for both sides”.

Analysis: Zelenskyy knows he risks another ambush

At the US-Russia summit on Friday, Mr Trump (quite literally) rolled out the red carpet for Mr Putin and even let the Russian leader take a ride with him in the presidential limousine dubbed The Beast.

Mr Zelenskyy is set for a less warm welcome, with no red carpet or fly past, no round of applause, according to Sky News’ US correspondent Martha Kelner.

The atmosphere may be more businesslike with European leaders like Mr Stubb in Mr Zelenskyy’s corner, and their inclusion as mediators could help prevent a repeat of the Oval Office clash.

Mr Stubb has repeatedly voiced support for Ukraine, and Finland, along with other Nordic countries and the three Baltic states, has been among the country’s staunchest supporters.

The 2022 invasion prompted Finland, which shares a 1,340-km (833-mile) border with Russia, to join NATO two years ago, upending decades of non-alignment.

Read more from Sky News:
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Two days before the Alaska summit, Mr Zelenskyy, Mr Trump and European leaders, including Mr Stubb, were on a conference call, after which the Finnish leader wrote on X: “Excellent meeting with @Potus and European leaders, including @ZelenskyyUA. Aligned views and unity.

“We are working together for a ceasefire and a sustainable peace. We are there for Ukraine every step of the way. The next few days and weeks can be decisive.”

Trump’s relationship with the leaders coming to Washington alongside Zelenskyy

Keir Starmer:

Donald Trump repeatedly said he likes Sir Keir, even calling him “a very good person” as he highlighted their “very good relationship”.
The US president also praised the prime minister in January for having “done a very good job” so far.
He added that Mr Starmer is “slightly more liberal than I am, but I like him” during a trip to Scotland in July.

Alexander Stubb:

Mr Stubb has developed a blossoming friendship with Mr Trump, including texts and calls at odd hours, after the two bonded over their shared love of golf during a tournament at Mar-a-Lago in March.
After their game, the US president took to Truth Social to praise his Finnish counterpart, writing that Mr Stubb was “a very good player”.
Meanwhile, Mr Stubb hailed Mr Trump as “the only person who can broker a peace”.

Giorgia Meloni:

Another European leader who enjoys a good relationship with Mr Trump is Giorgia Meloni, who has been known to be an admirer of many of his policies.
The populist Italian prime minister was the only European head of state to be invited to Mr Trump’s inauguration.
Earlier this year, a Trump aide described Ms Meloni as a “valuable interlocutor with the EU” and she has even been labelled “Europe’s Trump whisperer”.

Mark Rutte:

The NATO secretary general has perhaps the closest relationship with Mr Trump among the visiting European leaders.
Mr Rutte has praised Mr Trump on various occasions, lauding him as a “man of strength… and peace” and even calling him “daddy” in a comment about breaking up fighting between Middle Eastern adversaries.
Mr Trump later said about Mr Rutte: “I think he likes me.”

Emmanuel Macron:

The French president was the first European leader to be invited to the White House after Mr Trump took office for a second time in January.
The two leaders have built a friendly rapport over the years, and during their Oval Office meeting, Mr Macron praised and flattered Mr Trump’s leadership.
Just last month, Mr Trump said during a news conference that he liked Mr Macron and that he was “a very good guy”.

Ursula von der Leyen:

As the president of the European Commission, Ms von der Leyen was responsible for striking a trade deal between the US and EU and faced difficult negotiations with Mr Trump.
As part of the final deal, the US is now imposing 15% tariffs on most EU imports – down from Mr Trump’s originally proposed 30% – but Ms von der Leyen’s deal has attracted criticism from politicians in EU member states.
This includes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who dubbed her a “featherweight” and said: “It wasn’t a deal that President Donald Trump made with Ursula von der Leyen. It was Donald Trump eating Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast.”

Friedrich Merz:

A conservative like Mr Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz bonded with Mr Trump over their shared criticism of former German chancellor Angela Merkel’s policy of opening up the borders for refugees.
During their first meeting in the Oval Office in June after Mr Merz was elected four months prior, the German chancellor also presented Mr Trump with a copy of his grandfather Friedrich Trump’s German birth certificate from 1869.
After their meeting, Mr Merz told German media that the US president was someone he could “speak with very well on a personal relationship”.

Whether any other European leaders will accompany Mr Zelenskyy will likely be confirmed late Sunday following a conference call between members of the “coalition of the willing”.

Retired French General Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France’s military mission at the United Nations, said European leaders were “very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr Zelenskyy to the hilt”.

“It’s a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump,” he added.