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Volodymyr Zelensky faces a dilemma: risk the wrath of US President Donald Trump or accept a quick deal to end the war with Russia, paying the painful price of giving up territory in exchange for vague security guarantees.
His meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday comes just days after a summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin that failed to reach a ceasefire. The Ukrainian president, accompanied by European leaders, hopes to extract clear commitments from the United States for his country's security, but also to push for new sanctions against Russia.
The atmosphere is tense, after his previous visit to the White House in February led to a heated confrontation with Trump and a temporary suspension of military aid. This time he is accompanied by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stump, with whom Trump maintains a good personal relationship.
The difficulty for Zelensky is that Trump seems open to Putin's demands for the surrender of five Ukrainian regions. The US president has even talked about a "territorial swap" plan, offering a form of "NATO Article 5" for Ukraine in return, though without clarity on the content.
The Ukrainian president insists he "will neither give up territory nor exchange it," noting that the issue can only be discussed in a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump. So far, Moscow has shown no signs of accepting such a process.
Uncertainty is mounting as Russia intensifies its attacks, with June and July recording the highest number of civilian deaths in three years, according to the UN. At the same time, European governments fear that a deal favorable to Putin will encourage further aggression.
Zelensky is also facing domestic pressure. In July, thousands of citizens protested against his actions that jeopardized the independence of anti-corruption institutions, ultimately forcing him to step down. His negotiating position is weakening as losses on the front line mount and counterattacks fail.
Washington, Brussels and Kiev remain divided over what security guarantees could be offered. Zelensky stresses that the key issue is a clear division of roles between the US, the EU and Ukraine, but so far details are lacking.
The risk for the Ukrainian leader is that any withdrawal could pave the way for new Russian attacks in the years to come, while refusing to comply with Trump's demands threatens to undermine Washington's support. Thus, Zelensky finds himself trapped in a dilemma with no easy way out.
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