Zelensky’s EU-Heavy Squad Meets Trump’s Putin Playbook

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is heading to Washington with a European all-star lineup including NATO’s Mark Rutte, Ursula von der Leyen, and even Chancellor Friedrich Merz. They’re here for a Monday powwow with President Trump, whose post-Putin summit stances look about as favorable to Ukraine as a snowstorm in summer. As Zelensky put it, security guarantees must 'work in practice,' echoing NATO’s Article 5 safety net. Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff teased 'robust security guarantees' directly from the U.S. and Europe, but not NATO itself—because why make things simple? Fun times in D.C.!

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Source: Axios | Published: 8/17/2025 | Author: Avery Lotz