European Leaders and Zelensky Head to Washington

The White House is awaiting a large delegation. On August 18, Zelensky is expected to arrive for a meeting with Trump. The event is scheduled to begin at 20:15 Minsk time.

According to Bloomberg, Zelensky, heading to Washington, faces a dilemma: whether to risk provoking the anger of the American leader or to accept a quick peace deal. The agency reports that Zelensky’s current goals for the White House meeting are to learn more about Russia’s demands, to set a timeline for the tripartite talks, and to urge Washington to impose sanctions on Moscow.

However, the position in negotiations is complicated by disagreements between the U.S., Kiev, and other allies. Although Zelensky will be accompanied by a group of European leaders, there are doubts about their ability to influence Trump.

Other media outlets are also looking at the upcoming meeting with pessimism. Several publications warn that Europe is worried about Zelensky being left alone in Washington. European representatives fear he might agree to Vladimir Putin’s peace plan. Meanwhile, Trump has already hinted on social media how the conflict could be quickly resolved — at least by recognizing Crimea as Russian and dropping Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations.