Zelensky Arrives at Downing Street for High Level Talks as Pressure Mounts Over Peace Deal Proposals

President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet senior European leaders in London on Monday as Ukraine’s allies work to coordinate their response to growing United States pressure for Kyiv to make concessions in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia. The meeting at 10 Downing Street brings together Zelensky, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in what is expected to be one of the most significant diplomatic discussions since the conflict began.

European leaders are increasingly focused on ensuring that any proposed deal contains strong guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression. Officials involved in the planning say the London meeting aims to establish a united European stance ahead of further negotiations. The talks follow three days of intense discussions in Florida, where Zelensky’s new chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, met United States officials to push for changes to a draft plan prepared by the White House. That proposal has faced criticism in Kyiv because it is widely viewed as accommodating several of Moscow’s core demands.

The United States and Ukraine both said progress was made during the Florida meetings, but comments from President Donald Trump on Sunday added new tension. Trump told reporters he was disappointed that Zelensky had not yet read the revised draft proposal, saying that advisers around him were supportive of it. Trump suggested that Russia might ultimately prefer to take full control of Ukraine but implied that Moscow could live with the current draft. He questioned whether Zelensky would agree to it, hinting at possible differences between Ukrainian officials and their president.

Trump’s comments appeared to refer to the updated draft prepared in Miami after negotiations involving Umerov and two of Trump’s closest aides, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son in law Jared Kushner. Their involvement reflects the administration’s increasing effort to accelerate the peace talks, even as Ukrainian officials insist that they cannot accept terms that undermine their territorial integrity or long term security.

Zelensky, speaking around the same time Trump made his remarks, said he expected to be briefed in person by Umerov either in London or Brussels. He explained that some issues are too sensitive to discuss over the phone and must be reviewed face to face. Zelensky described his earlier discussions with Witkoff and Kushner as constructive, although he emphasised that the negotiations were not easy and required careful consideration of Ukraine’s core positions.

The London meeting is expected to focus on shaping a unified Western response to the proposed deal, ensuring that Ukraine’s security needs are not overshadowed by political pressure to end the conflict quickly. European leaders have publicly pledged continued support for Ukraine, but privately acknowledge that the window for shaping the final terms of a peace settlement may be narrowing.

As Zelensky arrives for the talks, the stakes remain extraordinarily high. The decisions made in the coming days could determine not only the future of Ukraine’s sovereignty but also the wider security framework of Europe.