Donald Trump’s ruthless push to end the Ukraine war as soon as he can sent a shockwave through traditional western diplomacy over the weekend.

The US president had already spoken highly of Vladimir Putin – the aggressor who invaded Ukraine in 2022 – when he suddenly attacked the Ukrainian president on Friday, in front of the press.

European leaders also gathered in London for an emergency summit on Sunday to discuss how to protect the continent’s security in the face of Russia’s expansionist goals and the US’s wavering support.

While not much has actually changed on the battlefield, here’s a quick run-through of all the major diplomatic moments from the last few days which could impact the war, and where Europe stands now.

What actually happened between Trump and Zelenskyy?

Zelenskyy visited Trump in the White House on Friday, ostensibly to discuss a possible agreement to share Ukraine’s mineral wealth in exchange for the US’s military support for Kyiv.

But, when the Ukrainian president sat down beside Trump and his number two JD Vance in front of the media in the Oval Office – the informal media chat before the formal press conference – the conversation descended into a mighty row.

Vance accused Zelenskyy of trying to “litigate” the US’s efforts to end the war, and falsely claimed he had not thanked the US for its support.

Trump threatened Ukraine too, saying: “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”

Trump alleged that Zelenskyy was not “acting at all thankful”, claimed the Ukrainian president was “gambling with World War III” and bizarrely said he himself was “for both Ukraine and Russia”.

Both Americans also criticised Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit, even though he has been wearing military fatigues ever since Russia invaded in 2022.

Their joint press conference was subsequently cancelled and Zelenskyy left the White House early.

Trump later claimed on social media that Zelenskyy was “not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations”.

But, Trump added: “He can come back when he is ready for peace.” 

Where does Ukraine’s relationship with Europe come into this?

If Trump wants to withdraw his support for Kyiv, Ukraine will turn to Europe to fill that vacuum – even though it’s unlikely the continent could support the war effort without the US backing.

Europe is therefore keen to keep US aid on the table, while continuing to protect Ukraine’s security.

After his disastrous White House visit, Zelenskyy flew straight to London to take part in Keir Starmer’s summit of European leaders, which was held on Sunday.

The PM made a clear display of hugging Zelenskyy when they met outside Downing Street while crowds in Whitehall cheered for the Ukrainian president.

Starmer told Zelenskyy that he had “full backing across the United Kingdom”. 

The prime minister then did his best to smooth over the tensions from the previous day.

Starmer spoke to Trump over the phone – as did French president Emmanuel Macron – and called for calm after Friday’s fireworks.

Zelenskyy also later said he was willing to “restore dialogue” with the US during his UK visit.

The PM – who has stepped forward as the lead figure in the fight to continue supporting Ukraine, along with Macron – renewed his promises to back Kyiv in its ongoing fight against Russia.

After his summit, he pledged to put British “boots on the ground” to deter future attacks from Putin if a peace deal is secured.

He also announced Britain would donate a further £1.6bn in export finance to the country so Kyiv can buy 5,000 air defence missiles.

Starmer then called for a “coalition of the willing” to end the war, adding that while “Europe must do the heavy lifting”, not every nation will “feel able to contribute”.

While leaders have not explained which countries have been more reluctant to step forward for Ukraine, it is clear the UK and France are taking the lead.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni has also said she is ready to use her positive relationship with Trump.

It also remains unclear exactly what that means or how a country can join the “coalition of the willing”.

Starmer denied that Trump was an “unreliable ally” too, and said he – along with other European leaders – were working on a peace plan to present to the president.

He also refused to cancel Trump’s second state visit to the UK over his spat with Ukraine – although Zelenskyy was able to meet King Charles during his trip to the UK over the weekend in a surprise moment of soft diplomacy.

What now?

It’s worth remembering we are still a very long way off a peace deal.

Although Macron suggested that the UK was looking at a one-month truce in the Ukraine war, the armed forced minister Luke Pollard said that is not a “plan we currently recognise”.

The UK’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, was also slapped down by Pollard after he claimed Kyiv should declare ceasefire first.

He said: “That’s not government policy and you wouldn’t expect me to commentate on every up and down in negotiations.”

Most of the West is now waiting nervously to see what Europe can come up with to win back American support for Ukraine.