When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives for talks with President Trump in Washington, D.C., this week, he will be flanked by several European leaders.
The big picture: The Monday discussion could prove challenging, with Trump's positions following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin appearing unfavorable to Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that "we're not at the precipice" of a peace agreement after President Trump'sAlaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without a deal on Russia's war in Ukraine.
The big picture: Trump, who Axios previously reported set a ceasefire as the goal of the talks, said "we didn't get there" after the meeting. Rubio on Sunday said both sides would have to make concessions, but refused to name any that Putin agreed to.
The peace terms that Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out in his summit with President Trump included that Ukraine withdraw entirely from two of its eastern regions, two sources briefed on the call told Axios.
Why it matters: Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday in Washington. He also told European leaders in a post-summit call that he wants to arrange a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky as soon as next Friday, the sources said. But based on Putin's conditions, a major breakthrough appears unlikely.
After his summit with Russian President Putin in Alaska on Friday, President Trump will meet Ukrainian President Zelensky for what could be a difficult meeting at the White House on Monday afternoon.
Why it matters: Trump's positions coming out of the meeting — that he no longer supports a ceasefire, and it's "up to President Zelensky" to make peace — appear highly unfavorable to Ukraine.
Friday's summit in Alaska began as a superpower spectacle, then abruptly ended without any indication of what was achieved or where things go from here.
Why it matters: President Trump didn't get the ceasefire he came for, or the public commitment he wanted from Vladimir Putin to meet next with Volodymyr Zelensky. The leaders scrapped a planned lunch and departed early — but not before both declared the meeting a success.
At the conclusion of Friday's "productive" but inconclusive summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin quipped to President Trump: "Next time in Moscow."
The intrigue: Putin made the remark in English, a language he rarely speaks in public. The suggestion drew a surprised chuckle from Trump, who didn't rule it out but said he'd "get a little heat for that one."
