UPDATE - Key EU leaders to join Trump-Zelenskyy talks in Washington

UPDATES WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MORE EUROPEAN LEADERS JOINING TALKS, REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Beyza Binnur Donmez and Ayhan Simsek

GENEVA/BERLIN (AA) - A group of senior European leaders will travel to Washington on Monday to join talks on Ukraine with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are all set to attend the meeting.

The German government said the trip will serve as an "information exchange" following Trump's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

"Chancellor Merz will discuss the current peace efforts with the heads of state and government and underscore Germany's interest in a swift peace agreement," government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement.

He added that talks would focus on security guarantees, territorial questions, support for Ukraine's defense and maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia.

In Helsinki, the Finnish presidency confirmed Stubb's participation in what it called "a meeting on peace in Ukraine."

Von der Leyen, meanwhile, stated on US social media platform X that after hosting Zelenskyy in Brussels on Sunday and participating in a Coalition of the Willing conference, she would travel to Washington at Zelenskyy's request to join the White House talks.

The Elysee and Italian news agency ANSA separately confirmed the attendance of Macron and Meloni, respectively.

On Friday, Trump and Putin had a three-hour closed-door meeting, with the Russian leader saying they had come to reach an "understanding."

After the meeting, Trump said that it is now up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders "to get it done."

"A lot of points were agreed on, there's not that much, you know, one or two pretty significant items, but I think they can be reached," Trump said during a Fox News interview following his historic sit-down with Putin in Alaska.

"Now, it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit, but it's up to President Zelenskyy," he added.