European leaders to gather in London on Sunday to strengthen support for ‘securing a just and lasting peace’ in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as most of Europe rallies behind Kyiv following Zelenskyy’s public confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Starmer’s office announced that he will meet Zelenskyy in London on Saturday ahead of a broader summit of European leaders on Sunday. Downing Street stated that the summit will focus on bolstering support for “securing a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
U.S. support for Ukraine has come into question after a White House meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump on Friday escalated into a heated argument.
Sunday’s summit is also expected to address the need for Europe to enhance defense cooperation amid concerns over whether the U.S. will continue its support for NATO.
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed willingness to “open the discussion” on a potential future European nuclear deterrent, following a request from Friedrich Merz, who is likely to become Germany’s next chancellor.
Merz has emphasized the urgency for Europe to “achieve independence” from the U.S. in defense matters.
Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic, reporting from London, noted that the summit has taken on “greater significance” following Friday’s contentious meeting, during which Trump accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful.”
“European leaders are now facing the real possibility that the U.S. may no longer support Ukraine militarily or could scale back its assistance,” she said.
“European leaders need to determine whether they can step up and defend Ukraine on their own—a task that many analysts believe would be a significant challenge for Europe.”
Trump-Zelenskyy Dispute
During the Oval Office confrontation, witnessed by U.S. and international media, Trump and Vice President JD Vance angrily interrupted Zelenskyy, accusing him of failing to show gratitude and rejecting their proposed peace terms.
“You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out, and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
Most European leaders were shocked by Friday’s clash and quickly rallied to Zelenskyy’s defense.
European Union leaders Ursula von der Ley
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