Zelenskyy meets European leaders in London to discuss US peace plan

WISE NEWS PRESS / LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — DEC. 09, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with key European leaders in London to discuss a new peace proposal amidst growing pressure from the United States to reach a settlement with Russia.

Zelenskyy held talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meetings come as Ukraine's European allies express concern that the Trump administration's push for a quick peace deal risks making too many concessions to Moscow and failing to address long-term security concerns.

Security Guarantees in Focus

Prime Minister Starmer welcomed Zelenskyy at Downing Street, stating that any potential agreement must include "sharp" security guarantees for Ukraine. President Macron noted that Ukraine's allies still hold "many cards," while Chancellor Merz expressed skepticism regarding certain details found in the documents presented by the US.

The leaders discussed the latest 28-point peace plan drafted during meetings between Ukrainian and US officials in Florida last week.

Details of the Proposed Peace Plan

According to reports, the proposed plan includes several contentious stipulations:

• Troop Limits: The Ukrainian army would be limited to 800,000 personnel, up from an initial proposal of 600,000.

• NATO Membership: Accession to NATO remains an option only if all member states approve, a shift from earlier drafts that excluded membership entirely.

• Troop Presence: NATO would not station "permanent" troops in Ukraine.

• Security Assurance: The US could offer a guarantee similar to NATO's Article 5, treating an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the alliance.

• Territorial Concessions: Ukraine would pledge not to retake lost territories—including Crimea and Donbas—through military means, opting for negotiations instead.

Transatlantic Divergence

The diplomatic flurry highlights a widening gap between European and American worldviews. While the US National Security Strategy has criticized European allies for having "unrealistic expectations," European leaders fear that a hasty deal pushed by President Donald Trump would only serve as a temporary pause in Russian aggression rather than a lasting peace.

President Trump claimed Zelenskyy's negotiators "liked" the plan but expressed disappointment that Zelenskyy himself had not yet read the proposal fully. Zelenskyy responded by stating that some issues can only be resolved face-to-face.

Following the London talks, Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Brussels to meet with NATO and EU leadership.

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