President Donald Trump’s back-to-back meetings with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and key European leaders have put two issues front and center in efforts to end the war: territorial concessions and security guarantees.
Territorial Concessions: Trump’s Line
At Monday’s summit in Washington, Trump made clear he still believes Ukraine will need to cede land as part of a peace deal. Standing alongside Zelensky and European counterparts, he said:
“We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory, taking into consideration the current line of contact.”
This marks a major sticking point. Ukraine and its European partners have long rejected the idea of giving up land to Russia. Yet analysts say Trump’s comments reflect a grim reality: Ukraine is overstretched on the battlefield and has already lost control of about 20% of its territory.
Jennifer Kavanagh of Defense Priorities told Newsweek:
“Ukraine will have to cede some territory to end the war, the question is how much and how. At the very least, it will not go back to its pre-2022 borders. Crimea will not be returned.”
Russia, for its part, continues to demand recognition of its control over Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea, along with Ukrainian neutrality and “demilitarization.”
Zelensky has so far refused to formally concede land but hinted for the first time that discussions could include “where the front line is now.” That would be one of the biggest shifts in his stance since Trump recalibrated Washington’s approach.
The Security Guarantees Debate
Alongside territorial talks, Trump has floated the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine — something short of NATO membership but still designed to deter future Russian attacks. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff even claimed Putin was open to such guarantees, calling it a “significant step.”
But European leaders are divided. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists a ceasefire must come first to test Russia’s sincerity. Others, like Macron and Rutte, stress that any framework must protect Europe’s wider security.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, rejected outright any scenario involving NATO forces in Ukraine, warning of “uncontrolled escalation.”
Experts also question Europe’s willingness to enforce guarantees if Russia challenges them. As Franz-Stefan Gady of the Center for a New American Security put it:
“Are European countries prepared to go to war against Russia? If the answer is no, then any reassurance force in Ukraine will not be able to deter aggression.”
Europe’s Balancing Act
For Europe, these talks are not only about Ukraine but about the post-war security order across the continent. Leaders like Macron, Starmer, Merz, Stubb, Meloni, and von der Leyen all entered the White House summit aiming to influence Trump’s approach. Their priorities:
Push back against territorial swaps.
Ensure any security guarantees are credible.
Shape the trilateral Putin-Zelensky-Trump talks that may follow.
Mujtaba Rahman of Eurasia Group noted that while leaders projected unity, Europe still faces tough questions about whether it’s truly ready to take on a bigger share of the burden.
What Comes Next
So far, Trump’s diplomacy hasn’t produced a breakthrough. But it has set the stage for future discussions — including the possibility of a Trump-mediated meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
Before any settlement on borders or guarantees, negotiators will still need to tackle urgent issues like prisoner exchanges, abducted Ukrainian children, and sequencing of agreements. As Rahman noted:
“It’s way too premature to begin talking about territorial exchanges. The European side is still focused on protecting the principle that borders cannot be redrawn by force.”
For now, Ukraine insists peace must be lasting and built on stronger foundations than past failed promises — while Russia continues pressing its battlefield advantage.
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