Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with European leaders at a crucial summit in London today, following his extraordinary confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office—an event that shook Western allies and cast deep uncertainty over the future of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelensky was warmly welcomed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday, in stark contrast to his reception at the White House. King Charles has also accepted an invitation to meet with the Ukrainian leader on Sunday, according to Zelensky.
Beyond diplomatic gestures, a decisive day for negotiations lies ahead. The West hopes that Sunday’s summit will reignite momentum toward a viable peace agreement—a process that seemed to be making slow progress this week but collapsed in mere minutes of tension on Friday.
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday morning, Starmer announced plans to collaborate with France, Ukraine, and possibly “one or two other countries” on a ceasefire strategy that will later be presented to the U.S. This initiative appears to be a counterweight to Trump’s administration’s separate negotiations with Russia last month, highlighting the challenge of bringing Trump and Zelensky to the same table.
Despite the uncertainty, Zelensky secured tangible support during his visit. On Saturday, he and Starmer signed a deal to fast-track $2.8 billion in credit for Ukraine, with the first installment expected next week, according to the British government.
In a Telegram post on Saturday, Zelensky stated: “The funds will be used for weapons production in Ukraine. This is the right approach: the one who started the war should pay.” He added that the credit will “strengthen our defense capabilities.”
The previous diplomatic showdown in Washington, where the U.S. president and vice president reprimanded the leader of a war-torn ally, rattled Europe and pleased the Kremlin. This has raised the stakes for Sunday’s summit, originally convened by Starmer to build on the progress made in a similar meeting in Paris last weekend.
