Meloni to join European leaders in show of solidarity with Zelensky.Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni will join a host of European leaders at the White House on Monday for crucial talks between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Donald Trump.Meloni will be be joined by French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK prime minister Keir Starmer, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte. The unprecedented gathering by the so-called "coalition of the willing" is seen as a show of solidarity with Zelensky and an attempt to avoid a repeat of the Ukrainian president's last visit to the Oval Office, in February, which ended in a disastrous confrontation with Trump. The move comes amid concerns in Brussels and Kyiv that Trump could sign off on a deal that is overly favourable to Russian president Vladimir Putin, after the two leaders met for talks in Alaska last week. That meeting ended without an agreement being reached however Putin is understood to have demanded that Ukraine cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition for ending the war. On Sunday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Zelensky can end Russia's war "if he wants to" but ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of a peace deal. Zelensky has reiterated that any decision on Ukraine's future must be made with its involvement, a position echoed by Meloni ahead of the high-stakes meeting in Washington on Monday. Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com.

Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni will join a host of European leaders at the White House on Monday for crucial talks between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Donald Trump. Meloni will be be joined by French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK prime minister Keir Starmer, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte. The unprecedented gathering by the so-called "coalition of the willing" is seen as a show of solidarity with Zelensky and an attempt to avoid a repeat of the Ukrainian president's last visit to the Oval Office, in February, which ended in a disastrous confrontation with Trump. The move comes amid concerns in Brussels and Kyiv that Trump could sign off on a deal that is overly favourable to Russian president Vladimir Putin, after the two leaders met for talks in Alaska last week. That meeting ended without an agreement being reached however Putin is understood to have demanded that Ukraine cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition for ending the war. On Sunday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Zelensky can end Russia's war "if he wants to" but ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of a peace deal. Zelensky has reiterated that any decision on Ukraine's future must be made with its involvement, a position echoed by Meloni ahead of the high-stakes meeting in Washington on Monday. Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com.