President Volodymyr Zelensky is methodically building a European consensus for a new peace initiative, with a crucial hour-long strategy session with Finnish President Alex Stubb marking a key milestone. This united European front is designed to create a more compelling case for the decisive US leadership Zelensky believes is essential.
The coordination with Finland is highly symbolic. As a nation with recent experience of Russian aggression and a new NATO member, Finland’s voice carries significant weight in European security discussions. Aligning positions with Helsinki sends a powerful message of regional resolve.
This effort to build consensus is the necessary groundwork for Zelensky’s main objective: securing a level of US engagement similar to that which produced the Gaza peace deal. He can now approach Washington not just as the leader of a single nation at war, but as a representative of a coordinated European viewpoint.
Zelensky’s praise for President Donald Trump’s “success” serves as the common ground for these discussions. It provides a positive, successful example that allies can rally around, making the proposal for a new initiative seem less like a desperate plea and more like a logical next step.
While the diplomatic pieces are moved into place in Kyiv and Helsinki, the urgency of their mission is reinforced by the ongoing Russian attacks. The European consensus-building is a race against time, an effort to construct a diplomatic solution before the military situation deteriorates further.