The trip comes just days after President Donald Trump had a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska - the first since the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict in 2022.
Mr. Zelensky faces "dilemma"
Bloomberg said Mr Zelensky was in a "dilemma": Either accepting a peace deal with territorial guarantees, or recklessly facing Mr Trump's anger if he refused. Experts say that after the Alaska summit, Kiev's "pre-emprise" door has narrowed significantly.
The concern is even greater as many Ukrainian officials fear a repeat of the "White House shock" last February, when Mr. Zelensky was strongly pressured by Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance about the direction of the war. According to Nikolay Beleskov of the National Strategic Research Institute of Ukraine, Washington is now seeing Ukraine must make significant progress to peace as inevitable.
Europe joins
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that she and some Western European leaders will accompany Mr. Zelensky to Washington.
Previously, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired an online meeting with more than 30 countries of the Ready Alliance - a force expected to deploy soldiers to Ukraine after the ceasefire, to ensure security in the sky and sea areas.
Mr. Macron emphasized: "There cannot be any discussion about Ukraine without the voice of the Ukrainians themselves". He affirmed that the Kiev military must be the "first pillar" of the defense, but also mentioned that Europe will put pressure on the US to clarify "limited security commitments" to Russia.
New signal from Washington
US officials revealed a breakthrough at the Alaska summit: Russia agreed to the proposal to ensure Ukraine's security in the same way as NATO's Article 5 - considering an attack on one country as an attack on all. In return, Moscow has pledged to be legally bound not to expand its territory after the peace treaty is signed.
US special missionary Steve Witkoff called this a turning point deal, because it both avoided a deadlock in Ukraines NATO membership documents and brought the collective shield that Kiev was eager for.
However, observers warned that no ceasefire is not peace. Former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chas Freeman said the conflict could flare up again at any time if it were without a long-term security structure, and suggested that the 55-year Austrian neutral model could be the solution for Ukraine.
Washington - the decisive destination?
In that context, the White House is considering the possibility of holding a tripartite meeting between Trump - Putin - Zelensky this week.
However, analysts say the outcome depends largely on Zelensky's attitude. If he refuses to discuss the territory, US support is at risk of being cut; but if he accepts, he will face a wave of fierce opposition from the nationalist faction in Kiev.
From Belarus, security officials have even expressed skepticism that the West really wants to stop the conflict. Meanwhile, Mr. Putin's special envoy on social media warned "warrior Europeans" not to hinder the peace path that Russia and the US are fracturingly establishing.
