What’s on the table: Zelenskyy and NATO leaders meet Trump on security, territory

Key questions:

• What problematic issues have arisen for Ukraine following the Trump-Putin summit?
• What is on the agenda for the meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump?
• What role will European leaders play in the meeting?

Although August is usually a quiet month in global politics, this year has been marked by diplomatic activity. The Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was just one in a series of meetings taking place in the coming days.

In Alaska, Putin presented a new set of demands for Ukraine. Trump, for his part, seemingly did not reject them outright and promised to discuss them with Ukraine. As a result, the key negotiations will soon take place on the Ukrainian-American track.

Immediately after Alaska, Trump held a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders. Sources cited by RBC-Ukraine reported that the conversation was quite substantive. Further discussions are expected today, as Zelenskyy and the European leaders arrive in Washington for a visit.

At the same time, many issues remain unacceptable to Ukraine and are likely to be the subject of intense debate.

Demands on Ukraine

According to Reuters, Russia insists on a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in exchange for a Russian promise to halt attacks in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as to return certain small areas in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

Putin also demands recognition of the occupied Crimea as part of Russia, although it remains unclear whether this recognition would be expected only from the US or from all Western countries and Ukraine.

In addition, Russia seeks the lifting of some sanctions. Another Kremlin demand is granting the Russian language official status in certain regions of Ukraine or across the country, as well as ensuring freedom of activity for the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). Russia also requires Ukraine to abandon its aspiration to join NATO.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Russia has allegedly even made concessions to Ukraine.

“The concessions that Russia agreed to make – not to occupy all of Ukraine,” Witkoff said.

Of all Russia’s demands, territorial issues are the most emotionally charged. Before the Alaska summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that he has no right to cede the country or exchange territory without security guarantees for Ukraine. In his words, territorial exchanges are a very complex issue that cannot be separated from security guarantees for Ukraine.

The US was aware of this position. However, after Alaska, Trump unexpectedly shifted his stance on Ukraine and Europe, according to The New York Times, citing its sources. Trump now supports a reconciliation plan involving the transfer of non-occupied areas of the Ukrainian Donbas to Russia.

On the other hand, during a phone conversation with Zelenskyy, Trump stated that he would pressure Putin on the war issue, reports the Financial Times. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that even if a peace agreement is reached, it would not involve the transfer of all Russian-occupied territories.

“Ultimately, if the Ukrainians are not willing to give that up, and no one’s pushing Ukraine to give that up — and so I don’t think that’s what — there’s going to be a peace deal. It’s not going to look like that,” Rubio told NBC.

In any case, Zelenskyy is likely to face difficult discussions at the White House, with efforts to once again explain to Trump what Ukraine is realistically prepared to do to end the war - and what it cannot concede.

Fight for security guarantees

Ukraine’s position could be slightly adjusted by the aforementioned security guarantees. According to Reuters sources, Putin may have been willing to agree to provide certain guarantees to Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal reports that during a phone call, Trump discussed with European leaders a proposal from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to provide Ukraine with security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense.

This would also involve military and financial support for Ukraine from the Western coalition led by the US. However, the deployment of American troops on Ukrainian territory is not planned.

NBC News sources detailed that security guarantees could be granted if Russia reinvades Ukraine after a peace agreement is signed.

As Axios points out, Putin mentioned China as a possible security guarantor, which may indicate that Russia opposes security forces composed of NATO troops.

European support

Immediately after the Alaska summit, European leaders and top EU officials issued a joint statement, emphasizing that Ukraine must have unshakable security guarantees.

“We welcome President Trump’s statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees. The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role,” the document states.

They also stressed that Russia cannot have a veto over Ukraine’s path to the EU and NATO, and that Ukrainians must make decisions regarding their territory.

Europe’s role in the negotiations is important in several respects. First, most of Russia’s frozen assets are located within the EU. Second, Europeans play a key role in providing financial aid to Ukraine, though their role in weapons supplies is more limited.

Before Zelenskyy’s trip to the US, an online meeting of the Coalition of the Willing also took place.

Zelenskyy said following the meeting that they were developing a shared vision of what a peace agreement should look like - truly fair, swift, and effective. In turn, coalition leaders stated their readiness to deploy deterrence forces in Ukraine immediately after a ceasefire is implemented.

In addition, several European leaders will accompany Zelenskyy to Washington for the meeting with Trump. These include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The European leaders are expected to assist Zelenskyy during his talks with Trump and, above all, prevent a repeat of their infamous Oval Office encounter, which escalated into a heated dispute.

However, surprises are still possible. According to German publication Bild, Trump will hold a one-on-one meeting with Zelenskyy, with the joint session including European leaders taking place afterward.

According to Merz, the parties plan to exchange views on the negotiation process. However, Trump wants a swift outcome. Axios sources reported plans for a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia as early as Friday, August 22, which means that the likelihood of intense pressure on Kyiv is higher than ever.

The article was prepared using statements from Ukrainian, European, and American politicians, as well as reports from Reuters, Politico, NBC News, The New York Times, Financial Times, Axios, CNN, and Bild.