MxM News

Quick Hit:

The United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine are working on a ceasefire proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, aiming to present the plan to President Donald Trump. The move follows a tense Oval Office meeting that has strained U.S.-Ukraine relations.

Key Details:

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are leading efforts to mediate a Ukraine peace deal, with Italy also signaling interest.
• The plan involves a ceasefire, European-led security guarantees, and a “coalition of the willing” to stabilize Ukraine post-conflict.
• Trump remains skeptical of long-term U.S. security commitments, making European efforts critical to any peace deal’s success.

Diving Deeper:

Following an explosive Oval Office exchange between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European leaders have intensified their efforts to mediate an end to the war in Ukraine. The U.K. and France have taken the lead in drafting a ceasefire plan, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasizing that a “coalition of the willing” must act swiftly to bring an end to the bloody three-year conflict.

In a Sunday interview with the BBC, Starmer confirmed that the U.K., France, and Ukraine had agreed to begin formal negotiations on a peace plan, which they would later present to Washington. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed interest in playing a role, hinting at a broader European effort to push for a settlement.

However, Europe’s diplomatic push faces major obstacles. The proposal reportedly includes European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine—something Russia has flatly rejected. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the idea “unacceptable,” accusing European nations, particularly France and the U.K., of fueling the war instead of ending it.

Further complicating matters, Starmer stressed that the plan should include a U.S. security guarantee for Ukraine—an idea Trump has repeatedly dismissed. At his first Cabinet meeting, Trump made it clear that Europe should take the lead, stating, “I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We’re going to have Europe do that.”

Zelensky’s insistence on American security commitments during Friday’s meeting reportedly led to the breakdown in talks, with Trump removing him from the White House and stating that the Ukrainian leader “can come back when he is ready for peace.” In response, European officials rallied around Zelensky, with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock calling the White House exchange “horrifying” and the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, suggesting that the “free world needs a new leader.”

While Europe’s push for a peace plan may help Zelensky demonstrate openness to negotiations, its chances of success remain uncertain. Without Trump’s backing or Russian agreement, the proposal risks becoming another diplomatic exercise with little impact on the battlefield. Furthermore, if European nations wish to replace the U.S. as Ukraine’s primary security guarantor, they will need to significantly increase their defense spending—something unlikely given their entrenched welfare commitments.

For now, European leaders appear eager to test Trump’s willingness to engage in peace efforts on their terms. Whether he accepts their proposal, or insists on his own approach, could define the next phase of the war.

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Hailey Gomez

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday on Fox News that he still wants to sign the mineral deal with the United States despite his public blowup at the Oval Office.

During a gathering in the Oval Office on Friday with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials to discuss the U.S. deal with Ukraine over its minerals, Trump and Vance called out Zelenskyy’s behavior after he publicly criticized the U.S. for not attempting to halt Russia. Following the heated discussion, Zelenskyy appeared on “Special Report with Bret Baier” and told the host that he still believes the deal should be signed, adding he wanted to understand the security guarantees the U.S. would provide.

“United States wanted this deal very much, and we’ve been not against this deal, but we wanted to understand what parts in security guarantees will take this deal and what next steps. Just again, to understand for our people, during the war, what you don’t like, even sometimes hate? Surprises,” Zelenskyy said.

“It’s understandable. Many terrible things this war brought to us. So we don’t, we don’t want any surprises. Yes, that’s why we want to be very fair with our partners. I think this deal was prepared by teams. It was not simple during [the] weeks, and now it’s ready. I think that they have to sign. The countries have to sign. The ministers have to sign. That’s it. I don’t know when they will do it. It depends on the American side.”

Multiple sources on Tuesday said that the U.S. had struck a deal with Ukraine to jointly develop mineral extraction projects within the nation.

WATCH:

By Thursday, Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that “the deal is done,” adding it was a “win-win” for all parties and would be signed by Friday at the White House. However, following Zelenskyy’s clash with the president and vice president, the White House told Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese that “nothing will be signed.”

Baier went on to ask Zelenskyy if the deal did not include security provisions, to which the Ukrainian president said that it was part of the “infrastructure.” Zelenskyy further said that Trump had said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be able to enter certain mineral production territories. However, the Ukrainian president disagreed with the decision, saying he had told Trump not to “trust Putin.”

“I said to him that we had more than two, more than 20 companies, American companies, big companies on the territory of Ukraine. We had offices, even on temporarily occupied territories. For Putin, it doesn’t matter,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s a European company or Ukraine. It doesn’t matter. He just came and occupied it.”

“That’s what I said. I think this is a great idea [on] how to strengthen Ukraine and how to make business between two countries, how to make additional jobs for two countries. But it’s not just this will not save us,” Zelenskyy said.

After Zelenskyy left the White House, Trump took to Truth Social, posting that he had determined Zelenskyy is “not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”

“I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump wrote.