Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House on Monday for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, three days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska failed to produce a cease-fire. Zelenskyy was joined by a high-profile delegation of European leaders in a bid to present a united trans-Atlantic front as negotiations over a possible settlement to the 42-month-old war move to Washington. The group includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Trump met Zelenskyy privately at 1:15 p.m. EDT before a larger session with the European leaders scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT. Trump is pressing for a comprehensive peace agreement rather than the cease-fire Kyiv had sought earlier this year. According to people familiar with the talks, Moscow wants Ukraine to cede the remainder of the Donbas and to recognise Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Zelenskyy has ruled out surrendering territory, citing Ukraine’s constitution, and is instead seeking NATO-style security guarantees that would deter future Russian attacks. European officials say their presence is designed to buttress Zelenskyy against U.S. pressure and to keep Europe directly involved after being excluded from the Trump-Putin meeting. The leaders are expected to explore a framework under which the United States and European allies would pledge collective defence of Ukraine without formal NATO membership. The diplomatic push comes amid continued Russian strikes that Ukrainian authorities say killed at least seven civilians in Kharkiv overnight and wounded dozens elsewhere. With the war now in its fourth year and roughly one-fifth of Ukraine under Russian control, Monday’s meetings could determine whether negotiations advance toward a durable settlement or slide back into intensified fighting.