Europe is sending heavy hitters to Washington alongside Ukraine’s president

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: European leaders are preparing to send key allies — including Finnish President Alexander Stubb and possibly NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte — to Washington on Monday to accompany President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in talks with Donald Trump
• The move follows Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which produced no breakthroughs but signaled a shift in tone toward Russian positions
• European officials hope Stubb can help defuse tensions and ensure Europe is included in any future negotiations

🔭 The context: Europe and Ukraine fear Trump could accept demands from Putin that would involve ceding Ukrainian territory, a step they find unacceptable
• A disastrous Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in February still looms large, raising concerns about another setback
• Trump’s rhetoric has fluctuated in recent weeks: he previously warned Putin of “severe consequences” but later urged Ukraine to “take the deal” without clarifying what that entailed

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: A fragile diplomatic moment risks legitimizing Russia without meaningful concessions while leaving Ukraine vulnerable
• European leaders are working to keep Kyiv from being sidelined in talks that could shape the trajectory of the war and future security guarantees

⏭️ What’s next: Trump plans to meet Zelenskyy in Washington on Monday, followed by a potential trilateral session with Putin, though the Russian leader has so far refused
• French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene a teleconference Sunday with the “coalition of the willing” to coordinate support for Ukraine after the war
• European officials remain anxious: Trump avoided an immediate deal with Putin but dropped threats of new sanctions and tariffs, leaving uncertainty over his negotiating direction

💬 One quote: “It is clear that the outcome of the Alaska summit has risen concerns in Europe, as Trump seems to have bought a large portion of Putin’s argument,” said Camille Grand, a former top NATO official 

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