Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels for a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte and several European leaders to discuss war strategy, amid concerns that the newly elected U.S. President, Donald Trump, might cut off U.S. support for Kyiv when he returns to the White House next month.
The meeting, scheduled for the evening of December 18, comes as European leaders aim to prepare their own plan in case Trump, who has pledged to end the war in Ukraine quickly, does not support Kyiv or pressures Ukraine to make concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire.
European leaders have consistently emphasized that only Ukraine should decide when it is ready to negotiate with Russia over a ceasefire agreement.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters before the meeting that the priority is to guarantee Ukraine’s “sovereignty and ensure it is not forced to accept a dictated peace.”
He added that the discussion about sending ground troops—raised recently during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk—would be premature.
Rutte said Kyiv’s allies must focus on increasing arms supplies to ensure Ukraine is in a strong position.
“The main task is to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to prevent Putin from winning and to ensure Ukraine’s victory,” Rutte said in a press conference before the meeting.
At the Brussels meeting, discussions will focus on “how to urgently strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield, politically, and geopolitically,” Zelensky wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after arriving in Brussels.
He stressed that Europe needs a “strong and united stance to secure lasting peace.”
Zelensky is expected to again request more air defense systems to help prevent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The meeting, organized by Rutte, includes officials from Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, and key EU institutions. France and the UK will be represented by their foreign ministers.
Among the potential topics are the security guarantees that could be offered to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, and how such a ceasefire could be monitored. One option being considered is the deployment of an international peacekeeping force to oversee this process.
