Ukraine's Zelenskiy to meet European leaders in Brussels on Wednesday

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy leaves after a trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President-elect Trump at the Elysee Palace in Paris as part of ceremonies to mark the reopening of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, five-and-a-half years after a fire ravaged the Gothic masterpiece, in Paris, France, December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will attend a meeting with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, NATO and the EU in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss support for his country in its war with Russia, sources familiar with the plan told Reuters.

The meeting comes as European countries face the possibility of the U.S., Ukraine's largest source of support, changing its approach to the conflict when Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.

Zelenskiy and some of his European allies have called for European troops to be deployed to Ukraine to act as a deterrent to further military action by Russia after any ceasefire.

"It won't be a meeting that has concrete decisions, but more political to discuss the coming weeks and months," said a source familiar with the meeting.

The gathering, hosted by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, will be held on the day leaders were already due to meet for the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels, and involve a joint meeting and several bilateral meetings with Zelenskiy.



(Reporting by John Irish in Brussels and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, writing by Rachel More and Thomas Escritt, editing by Thomas Seythal)