European leaders who make up the ‘coalition of the willing’ are set to hold a conference call on Sunday – ahead of crunch talks between Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week.

The coalition – co-chaired by Sir Keir Starmer, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz – has the aim of bringing countries together to protect a peace deal in Ukraine.

Top of the agenda at Sunday’s meeting will be securing a concrete commitment from Mr Trump on a security guarantee that would act as a powerful backstop in any Russia-Ukraine peacekeeping arrangement.

Ukraine war latest: Putin comments on Trump talks

European leaders seemed buoyed by the US president’s most recent hints on the subject, in the knowledge that US military might is likely to deter Vladimir Putin from advancing in the future.

They will also discuss how to bring Mr Zelenskyy into talks after Mr Trump and Mr Putin’s Alaska meeting saw him left out in the cold.

In coordinated statements, European leaders said Mr Zelenskyy must play a greater role in future talks, and that peace cannot be achieved without him.

The hard bit will be to persuade the unpredictable US administration to change its approach, something that has proved almost impossible in the past.

When Mr Trump re-entered the White House and made it clear the US would no longer provide a blank cheque to protect peace in Europe, others decided they had to step up, and the ‘coalition of the willing’ was thrown together in March.

Since then, information about the allied peacekeeping effort has been patchy, but we know it includes over 30 countries, which have been asked to pledge whatever military support they can, including troops.

Read more:
Key takeaways from Alaska summit
In pictures: Trump-Putin meeting
What is the coalition of the willing?

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What has been forthcoming from the group though, has been consistent attempts to use their limited leverage to put pressure on the US.

That will continue ahead of crunch talks between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy, which are set to take place in Washington on Monday.

The Trump Administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB) is doing a lot of damage to America’s health, economy, and global standing – but one thing it certainly has not done is make it “too late” for US homeowners to benefit from a rooftop solar system.

Companies like Tesla and Rivian are reeling from the double-whammy of Trump’s BBB ending the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit early and killing the market for carbon tax credits, which provides EV car brands with hundreds of millions of dollars, almost overnight. Still another part of the bill that’s getting a lot of publicity is the death of the 30% tax credit for home solar systems at the end of 2025, which has led many Americans who have been “on the fence” about adding a solar or solar + storage solution to their home to believe they waited too long to go solar.

The good news? It’s not too late. Homeowners who get solar installed and operational by December 31st can still claim a full 30% federal tax credit for 2025, and any unused portion of that credit rolls over to the next tax year.

The better news? Even without the solar tax credit, adding a home solar system with battery backup storage can still deliver a positive ROI.

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Solar benefits go beyond tax credits

The most obvious benefit of home solar plus battery storage is that you can produce your own energy (or, if you’ve been following along for a while, electric fuel) for less than it would cost you to buy that energy from your local utility. That’s been true for a while, but it’s about to become even more true.

Outlets like The Washington Post and The Guardian are predicting that household energy bills in Republican-leaning states could rise by more than $600 next year, based on their analyses of the BBB. One study, by energy and climate think tank Energy Innovation, showed energy prices rising by much as 18% by 2035 as a result of Trump’s policies.

Energy Innovation’s analysis skews left, and tends to focus on “left of zero” outcomes. Still, when the corporatist rags start quoting bad numbers and bear markets, you should probably pay attention. Some of the key takeaways of the EI study include:

• Power generation capacity will fall 340 gigawatts by 2035, raising costs to meet growing demand and damaging industrial competitiveness
• Wholesale electricity prices will increase 25 percent by 2030 and 74 percent by 2035; electricity rates paid by consumers will increase between 9-18 percent by 2035
• Household energy costs will increase $170 annually by 2035
• America loses $980 billion in cumulative GDP through the budget reconciliation window
• Florida, Texas, Kentucky, and both North and South Carolina stand to be hit the hardest by rising energy costs over the next ten years

Beyond insulating your household budget from rising energy costs, a home solar system can help to insulate your home, too – which means you’ll need less of that lower cost electricity you’re generating to keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

That’s not just me saying that. A study by the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego study found that during the day, ceilings under tilted solar panels were about 5°F cooler than exposed ceilings, thanks to the panels acting as a shade and creating an air gap that helps dissipate heat. In cool weather, the panels helped homes retain heat, leading to a dual benefit across multiple seasons.

“There are more efficient ways to passively cool buildings, such as reflective roof membranes,” explains Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at UC San Diego. “But, if you are considering installing solar photovoltaic, depending on your roof thermal properties, you can expect a large reduction in the amount of energy you use to cool your residence or business.”

Keeping your own personal costs at bay while putting clean, excess energy that’s not stored in your home batteries back into the grid is a win-win that not only reduces your own energy bills but also puts downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices.

What’s more, because the rising costs of energy prices are outpacing interest rates, it might even make sense to finance a solar package – but definitely don’t take my word for that. Talk to a certified financial planner or someone with a fiduciary interest in your money to work the numbers before you start signing stuff.

Original content from Electrek.

READ MORE: It’s time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives.

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