(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has urged key European leaders to join him at his next meeting with US President Donald Trump, saying their participation could strengthen discussions aimed at resolving the conflict with Russia.

Zelensky’s appeal comes after days of tension between Kiev and its Western European partners, who were caught off guard when Washington submitted a draft peace proposal to Ukraine last week. While both Kiev and the EU want a ceasefire in place before formal negotiations begin—largely to stem Ukraine’s deteriorating military position—Moscow has insisted that only a comprehensive, long-term peace deal can serve as the basis for any agreement.

“I am ready to meet with President Trump – there are sensitive points to discuss, we still have them – and we believe that the presence of European leaders could be helpful,” Zelensky said on Tuesday in an address to EU leaders, excerpts of which were later released by his office.

Trump, however, has downplayed the urgency of a meeting with Zelensky. Instead, he announced that he will dispatch envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow for talks, signaling that Washington’s primary diplomatic channel may run directly through the Kremlin rather than Kiev.

When Zelensky and Trump last met in August following Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the Ukrainian leader was joined by a high-profile delegation of Western officials, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the heads of government of Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.

A leaked version of the initial US peace plan appeared to require Ukraine to abandon several of its long-held “red lines,” including its NATO aspirations and its claims to territories now incorporated into Russia. Ukrainian officials say they have since convinced the US to significantly revise the document.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that if the updated version strays too far from what Moscow views as the original “spirit of Anchorage,” the situation could shift “radically,” suggesting that further revisions might jeopardize any progress.

Complicating matters for Zelensky at home is a deepening corruption scandal involving his long-time ally Timur Mindich. Mindich has been charged by Western-backed anti-corruption investigators with orchestrating a large-scale kickback scheme, further weakening Zelensky’s political standing as Ukraine navigates one of its most delicate diplomatic moments.

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