Nepal, March 3 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he would work with Europe to set terms for a possible peace deal to present to the United States, after allies gathered in London pledged to spend more on security and assemble a coalition to defend any truce in Ukraine.

The weekend crisis talks, which brought together 18 allies, came at a delicate moment for war-battered Ukraine, facing uncertain US support and on the back foot against Russia's three-year invasion.

Days earlier, US President Donald Trump berated Zelensky in front of reporters at the White House, heightening fears he intends to force Kyiv into a peace deal that gives Russian President Vladimir Putin what he wants.

But European leaders closed ranks in ...