European Leaders Seek Ukraine Peace Plan Following Contentious Washington Talks
WASHINGTON - Following a series of meetings in Washington this week,including talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump, several European leaders are pushing for a collaborative peace plan for Ukraine. The effort gained momentum after Zelensky’s delegation failed to secure U.S. approval for the purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The meetings occurred after an intense period of diplomacy, including a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and are set to culminate in a planned summit between the two leaders in Budapest within the next two weeks.
Trump, who has expressed increasing frustration with Putin’s continued war against Ukraine, told reporters before closed-door talks with Zelensky that the U.S. needed to maintain its own supply of Tomahawk missiles. He did, however, indicate openness to a potential weapons deal involving U.S.-made missiles and Ukrainian drones.
The tomahawk missile, capable of striking targets 1,600 to 2,500 kilometers (1,000-1,600 miles) away, would significantly enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities, notably as Ukraine has already been conducting long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries using domestically manufactured drones to exert economic pressure on the Kremlin. Russia has repeatedly warned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would represent a dangerous escalation.
After the meeting with Trump, Zelensky received a conference call from several European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
According to an Axios source on the call, Starmer suggested a joint effort with the U.S. to develop a Ukraine peace plan modeled after Trump’s approach to the Gaza conflict. NATO chief Rutte subsequently advocated for a rapid meeting of European security advisors over the weekend to further discuss the initiative.
trump stated, “Hopefully, we’ll be able to get the war over without thinking about Tomahawks,” before the closed-door discussions with Zelensky. This is the sixth meeting between Trump and Zelensky since Trump’s return to office.
