Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to participate in “Coalition of the Willing” talks on Friday, following a tense meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House last week.
The discussions come after reports emerged of a volatile encounter between the two leaders on 17 October, during which Trump allegedly threw maps aside and adopted what European officials described as Putin’s talking points almost verbatim.
The Friday call represents a crucial opportunity for European allies and Ukraine to coordinate their strategy amid growing concerns about the reliability of American support under Trump’s leadership.
White House Meeting Descended Into “Shouting Match”
According to the Financial Times, citing European officials briefed on the meeting, the 17 October encounter between Trump and Zelenskyy “descended many times into a ‘shouting match’, with Trump ‘cursing all the time’.
At one point during the meeting, Trump threw Ukraine’s battlefield maps to one side, with one official familiar with the encounter saying the US president was “sick” of seeing the map of the frontline repeatedly.
According to a European official with knowledge of the meeting, Trump told Zelenskyy that Putin had characterised the conflict as a “special operation, not even a war”, adding that the Ukrainian leader needed to cut a deal or face destruction.
“If [Putin] wants it, he will destroy you,” Trump reportedly warned Zelenskyy, echoing language used by the Russian president during their phone call the previous day.
Trump Echoed Putin’s Demands
European officials briefed on the meeting said Trump appeared to have adopted many of Putin’s talking points verbatim, even when they contradicted his own recent statements about Russia’s weaknesses.
During the confrontation, Trump reportedly insisted that Zelenskyy surrender the entire Donbas region to Russia, a point pushed by Putin during a White House call on Thursday.
Putin had told Trump he would forfeit “some small areas of the two southern frontline regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia” in exchange for Ukraine ceding all of Donetsk Oblast.
Zelenskyy rejected the possibility of transferring any additional non-occupied territories to Russia, according to media reports.
No Tomahawk Missiles for Ukraine
The Ukrainian president left the White House meeting without the advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles he had hoped would increase pressure on Putin to agree to a ceasefire on more favourable terms.
Trump indicated during the meeting that he is not currently considering providing Ukraine with the long-range weapons system.
Zelenskyy put on a brave face in a subsequent NBC News “Meet the Press” interview, saying: “It’s good that President Trump didn’t say ‘no,’ but for today, didn’t say ‘yes.’
Coalition of the Willing to Meet Friday
Following the contentious White House meeting, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Zelenskyy and European leaders on 17 October evening.
According to a UK government statement, the leaders “reiterated their unwavering commitment to Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression”.
“Further discussions about how they could support Ukraine in the lead up to, and following, a ceasefire would continue this week, including in a Coalition of the Willing call on Friday, the leaders agreed,” the statement read.
UK Pledges “Resolute Support”
Following the call with world leaders, Starmer spoke to Zelenskyy bilaterally to underscore the United Kingdom’s “resolute support for Ukraine”.
“Russia’s stalling tactics ahead of peace talks had shown Ukraine was the serious party of peace,” the Prime Minister told the President, according to the government readout.
The Coalition of the Willing, co-chaired by Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, aims to unite countries to protect any eventual peace agreement in Ukraine.
European Leaders Express Support
European leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Council President António Costa, expressed full support for Zelenskyy after his difficult conversation with Trump.
They confirmed military, financial and diplomatic assistance, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine, would continue from European partners.
Reuters reported that Zelenskyy will travel to London for talks later this week, though the specific timing beyond Friday’s call remains unclear.
Zelenskyy’s Diplomatic Balancing Act
The Ukrainian president faces a delicate diplomatic challenge in maintaining crucial American support whilst strengthening European partnerships as insurance against potential US withdrawal.
In his NBC interview, Zelenskyy insisted: “We are not losing this war, and Putin is not winning,” despite Trump’s warnings to the contrary.
He also said he was ready to join Putin and Trump’s upcoming summit in Budapest, which could take place in the coming weeks, though whether he will be invited to Hungary remains uncertain.
Trump’s Public vs Private Messaging
In a Truth Social post following the meeting, Trump described it as “very interesting, and cordial,” saying he had “strongly suggested” to both leaders that it was time to end the war.
“Let both claim Victory, let History decide!” he wrote, presenting a far rosier picture than the accounts emerging from European officials who were briefed on what actually transpired.
The discrepancy between Trump’s public statements and private behaviour has alarmed European allies who fear he is more sympathetic to Putin’s position than Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Europe Steps Up as US Commitment Wavers
The reported tensions and Friday’s Coalition of the Willing call highlight Europe’s efforts to step into any vacuum left by wavering American commitment.
Whilst European nations have collectively provided more aid to Ukraine than the United States, questions remain about whether they can fully replace American military support without Washington’s backing.
The coming weeks will prove crucial in determining whether European solidarity can sustain Ukraine if Trump follows through on threats to reduce or withdraw American assistance.
As Zelenskyy prepares for Friday’s discussions, the stakes for maintaining Western unity in support of Ukraine have never been higher.
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Image Credit:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy — meeting of the President of Ukraine with the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Brussels, 2025. Photo by European Commission (or Serbian President’s Office), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. (ec.europa.eu)
