Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several Western European leaders held talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, as Trump renewed calls for a swift end to the Ukraine conflict.
Although no breakthroughs were announced, Trump said the parties discussed unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine. Later that day, he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and began working toward a potential Putin-Zelensky meeting, to be followed by a trilateral summit with Trump, Zelensky, and Putin.
On Friday, Trump and Putin met in Alaska for the first time since 2019, after which the US president suggested that a peace deal could include “land swaps” and other concessions from both sides.
Ahead of the summit with Trump, the EU and UK reiterated their support for Kiev, emphasizing that Ukraine must not be forced to cede any territory without its consent.
18 August 2025
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According to CNN, responding to a question on what was agreed upon at the meeting as he was leaving the Oval Office British Prime Minister Starmer said:
“Quite a lot.”
US President Donald Trump confirmed that he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin to “begin arrangements” for a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.
He described his earlier talks with Zelensky and EU leaders in Washington as “very good.”
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone for 40 minutes.
The meeting between Trump and the European leaders has ended, according to media reports. Sources in the Ukrainian delegation at the White House have told the BBC that Trump and Zelensky are still in the building for more talks, “possibly in a different format.” The sources also said that Zelensky’s previously planned interview with Fox News has been cancelled.
Trump has interrupted his talks with Zelensky and European officials at the White House to hold a phone call with Putin, according to BILD. The talks are reportedly expected to resume afterwards. Trump had earlier said he would speak with his Russian counterpart after Monday’s meetings.
Asked during the meeting about his threat of severe consequences for Russia if it rejects a ceasefire, Trump replied that “we don’t need a ceasefire,” adding that “every war that I ended has [had] a lasting peace.”
The White House has posted a black-and-white photo of Trump and Zelensky with the caption ‘Pursuing Peace’.
Public remarks from Trump and European leaders have concluded. Trump said they would continue talks in the East Room before moving back to the Oval Office for further discussions.
Trump has said he does not believe there is a threat of any “further aggression” against Ukraine.
Zelensky has said he is ready to discuss various issues, including territory, at a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that security guarantees for Kiev must include maintaining a “powerful” Ukrainian army. He backed the idea of a ceasefire ahead of a potential trilateral meeting and added that Europe is counting on Trump to achieve peace. Macron also proposed discussing an end to the conflict at a four-party meeting with European participation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for security guarantees for Ukraine similar to NATO’s Article 5, which provides for collective defense in case of aggression.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pushed for a ceasefire during the multilateral talks, telling Trump that “we all would like to see a ceasefire, the latest from the next meeting on,” adding that he “can’t imagine” a trilateral meeting taking place without one.
Trump responded that the “six wars” that he has settled, ended without ceasefires. “We just got into negotiations,” he said.
Trump has said he believes the next step in resolving the conflict should be a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin, and Zelensky.
Trump has said that his meeting with European leaders and Zelensky will include discussion of a “possible exchange of territories.” He added that any such talks between Russia and Ukraine would take into account the “current line of contact” at the front.
The meeting has begun between Trump, European leaders and officials, and Zelensky.
Trump has posed for a ‘family photo’ with European leaders and Zelensky.
Trump and Zelensky have left for a meeting with European leaders, according to the White House.
The Trump–Zelensky meeting is reportedly continuing behind closed doors. According to the White House schedule, no joint statement is expected afterwards.
Trump has said he will call Putin after his meetings with Zelensky and European leaders. He added that if a trilateral meeting does not take place, the conflict will continue.
Trump has declared that Ukraine will not join NATO.
Zelensky has complained that Kiev is facing difficulties in purchasing American weapons and that Ukraine needs additional Patriot systems.
Trump responded that NATO will pay for American weapons supplied to Ukraine.
The Ukraine conflict should be ended through a permanent agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire, according to Trump. “I don’t think there is a need for a ceasefire if the war can be ended,” he said.
Trump has said the US will not discuss Ukraine’s accession to NATO, but will provide Kiev with strong security guarantees.
Trump has said he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the Ukraine conflict to end.
Asked whether the presence of European forces in Ukraine is under discussion, Trump said an announcement could be made after his meeting with European leaders.
Zelensky declined to answer a question on whether he is prepared to make territorial concessions. When asked about holding elections in Ukraine, he said that “security conditions would be required.”
Trump has noted that his meeting with Zelensky and European leaders is not final, stressing that any conflict settlement must be sustainable.
Trump has expressed confidence that a trilateral meeting between Russia, the US, and Ukraine is possible. He has also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to bring the conflict to an end.
The US side at the meeting will be represented by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, Fox News has reported.
Zelensky has arrived at the White House, where he was met by Donald Trump. Zelensky was dressed in a black polo shirt and a jacket.
Several European heads of state have arrived at the White House ahead of their meeting with Trump and Zelensky.
Among them are UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friederich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has arrived at the White House for the meeting between Trump and Zelensky.
Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, has held talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker ahead of Vladimir Zelensky’s scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, DC. Kellogg described the discussion as “great” in a post on X, which he accompanied with a photo from the meeting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a phone call with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, during which the two leaders discussed the results of Putin’s recent summit with Trump in Alaska, according to the Kremlin.
Zelensky is currently holding talks with Western European leaders at his country’s embassy in Washington, according to Ukrainian media.
Ukrainian media have released footage of Zelensky’s meeting with the US special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg. The Ukrainian leader appeared in a plain black T-shirt without a jacket, rather than a formal suit. A similar choice of attire during his Oval Office talks with Donald Trump in February drew criticism from US Vice President J.D. Vance.
Trump has said his goal is to end the Ukraine conflict, not prolong it, while hitting out at criticism that he has failed in past mediation efforts. “I don’t need the advice of people who have been working on all of these conflicts for years, and were never able to do a thing to stop them. They are ‘STUPID’ people, with no common sense, intelligence, or understanding, and they only make the current R[ussia]/U[kraine] disaster more difficult to FIX,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Italy has proposed Rome as a possible venue for a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump, and Zelensky, Corriere della Sera has reported. The outlet also said French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested Geneva, Switzerland, as an alternative location.
Moscow, however, has stated there have been no serious discussions on holding a trilateral meeting. While not ruling out talks with Zelensky, Russian officials have said a meeting should depend on progress in resolving the Ukraine conflict. They have also raised concerns over whether Zelensky has the authority to sign binding agreements since his presidential term expired last year.
Aerial footage circulating on social media shows what looks like Zelensky’s motorcade en route to the meeting with European leaders and Trump.
Zelensky has met with Keith Kellogg, US special representative for Ukraine and Russia, at the Hay-Adams Hotel, located just minutes away from the White House, Ukrainian media have reported.
The meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and European leaders is “of utmost, decisive importance,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has said, adding that the “maximum mobilization of diplomatic efforts right now gives us a chance to bring closer a just and dignified peace for Ukraine.”
European leaders are poised to hold talks with Zelensky prior to his meeting with Trump, according to Le Monde. Zelensky is expected to meet the US president at 1pm local time (17:00 GMT)
Security guarantees for Ukraine could include US troops stationed on its soil, one unnamed Trump adviser has told Axios. Another source, however, would not confirm any such option, declining to “negotiate in the press.”
Both the Trump and Biden administrations have publicly ruled out the possibility of sending troops, with Russia saying it would not allow NATO military deployment in Ukraine under any circumstances.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, thanking him for sharing details of his recent meeting with Trump in Alaska.
“India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard,” Modi wrote on X. He added that he looked forward to continued exchanges with Putin.
British officials have been working to “coach” Zelensky on how to avoid upsetting Trump, according to the Daily Mail. Jonathan Powell, national security adviser to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is said to be one of those spearheading the effort.
The outlet said the move comes as Starmer and other Western European leaders have sought to use “flattery and charm” to win Trump over and convince him to support their stance on Ukraine.
US Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to join Donald Trump for the meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky at the White House, ABC News has reported, citing a source.
If confirmed, the lineup would mirror February’s talks in Washington, which devolved into a public row during which Trump accused Zelensky of showing ingratitude and resisting commitments toward peace.
Trump’s approval rating jumped following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, according to a new InsiderAdvantage poll. The survey found that 54% of voters now approve of Trump’s performance, compared with 44% who disapprove, marking a net +10 approval — up from +2 in July. The poll was conducted between August 15 and 17 and surveyed around 1,000 respondents.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday urged for increased pressure on Russia and called for more assistance for Ukraine, in a bid to push Moscow toward what he described as a “just and lasting peace.”
Speaking in Tokyo, Wadephul said that firm security guarantees remain vital for Kiev and that Ukraine must be able to defend itself effectively even in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal. The remarks come ahead of a summit in Washington, where US President Donald Trump is set to host Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and European counterparts, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pushed back against French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to send a European peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine in case of a ceasefire. Speaking at a virtual meeting of the so-called ‘Coalition of the Willing’ on Monday, Meloni pointed out the sheer imbalance of forces.
“Russia has 1.3 million soldiers: how many should we send to be up to the task?” she asked, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper. “If one of our soldiers were to die, would we turn a blind eye or should we react?” she continued. “Because if we react, it’s obvious that NATO will have to do so. And then we might as well activate the clause [Article 5] immediately.”
Decisions on the future of Ukraine will be made exclusively in Washington, with European leaders left on the sidelines, according to Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Wladysław Bartoszewski. Speaking on Polsat News on Monday, he stressed that “one person makes decisions there,” noting that US President Donald Trump will shape the course of negotiations within a narrow American circle. European representatives, including those traveling with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to Washington, will have only “a limited impact on reality.”
Bartoszewski added that Poland was not invited to the meeting, citing its more modest international influence compared to powers such as Germany and the UK.
A foiled car bomb plot against the Crimean Bridge, reported by Russia’s security services on Monday, was aimed at derailing negotiations to end the conflict, senior diplomat Rodion Miroshnik, Russia’s envoy to Ukraine talks, has said. Miroshnik, who serves as the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large for Ukrainian war crimes, accused Kiev of seeking to undermine dialogue through “terrorist attacks” on civilian infrastructure.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said they have intercepted and demined a Chevrolet Volt packed with explosives that had entered Russia via third countries. The agency said the vehicle was prepared by Ukrainian intelligence to target the bridge, a key supply route to Crimea.
Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev has shared a political cartoon of Donald Trump and Western European leaders, dismissing it as “fake EU news promoting fake narratives ahead of a Big Day.”
Trump and his team are pushing for “the real solution” to the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev has said on X. Dmitriev, who was part of Russia’s delegation during the recent talks in Alaska, made the remarks as Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several Western European leaders gathered in Washington for discussions on the conflict on Monday.
A “digestible compromise” along the current front line is what Zelensky is prepared to consider as he heads into Oval Office talks with US President Donald Trump, a senior Ukrainian official has told FT.
Such a deal, the official said, could be acceptable to Ukrainians while stopping short of ceding further ground in Donbass to Moscow.
The official stressed that Zelensky’s overriding goal is to set a “productive peace resolution process” without being pressed into “impossible steps” such as pulling back Ukrainian forces.
Zelensky, however, has so far publicly ruled out any territorial concessions.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is likely to wear a more formal outfit when he meets US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, according to fashion designer Elvira Gasanova, who has previously worked with him.
“Tomorrow he most likely will not appear in a polo. I think he will choose a black military suit or a military-style shirt with trousers — perhaps a jacket,” Gasanova told Fox News Digital.
Zelensky, who has faced criticism for his casual attire, opted for a black jacket when he met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday.
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna, said Sunday that Moscow has the same right to security assurance as Ukraine under a future peace agreement.
“Many leaders of EU states emphasize that a future peace agreement should provide reliable security assurances or guarantees for Ukraine. Russia agrees with that. But it has equal right to expect that Moscow will also get efficient security guarantees,” Ulyanov wrote on X. He stressed that any terms “must be much more trustworthy than notorious promises of 1990 that ‘NATO wouldn’t move an inch eastward.’”
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has openly contradicted Donald Trump after the US leader stated Kiev could “end the war with Russia almost immediately” if it dropped its NATO bid and gave up Crimea. Posting on X, Zelensky rejected the idea of ceding Crimea or Donbass.
The clash comes on the eve of Zelensky’s White House meeting with Trump, their first since a fiery Oval Office confrontation in February. European leaders from France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Finland are expected to join him in Washington. The high-stakes talks follow Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Donald Trump will meet Vladimir Zelensky on Monday at 1:15 pm local time (17:15 GMT) for an hour-long discussion, according to the White House schedule. The bilateral talks will be followed by a multilateral meeting with European leaders, set to begin at 3:00 pm local time (19:00 GMT).
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has announced his arrival in Washington ahead of meetings with US President Donald Trump and European leaders. In a lengthy post on X, he reaffirmed that Ukraine will not make any territorial concessions.
Donald Trump has said he has “never had so many European leaders at one time” at the White House, calling it a “big day”.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several Western European leaders are due in Washington on Monday for talks with the US president.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky could end the conflict with Russia “almost immediately” if he chose to, US President Donald Trump has said, suggesting Kiev should abandon efforts to join NATO.
Ukraine’s security guarantees will not come from NATO, US special envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News. He explained that Washington is “potentially prepared to be able to give Article 5 security guarantees, but not from NATO,” noting they would come “directly from the United States and other European countries.” The envoy added that specifics will be discussed during Monday’s meeting.
17 August 2025
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is in an “impossible bind” ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington - either risk provoking Trump’s anger or accept a peace deal involving territorial concessions, according to Bloomberg.
”This is the existential dilemma confronting the Ukrainian leader as he travels to Washington for talks with the US president on Monday,” the outlet said, noting that after the Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, “Trump has left Zelensky little room to maneuver.”
Ukrainian officials fear a repeat of February’s Oval Office clash between Vladimir Zelensky, Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance, which undermined Kiev’s standing, according to the Washington Post.
“Unfortunately, there is such risk indeed,” said Nikolay Beleskov of the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies, adding that Trump now believes “it’s Ukraine that should make major concessions for peace.”
The US is hoping for a trilateral meeting involving Trump, Putin, and Zelensky later this week, an unnamed White House official has told the Washington Post. However, the official noted that Monday’s discussions may not immediately lead to such a meeting.
In a statement, nations belonging to the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ have again said they are ready to deploy troops to Ukraine once hostilities cease.
“[The leaders] re-emphasised the readiness to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer co-chaired a virtual meeting of the group’s leaders with Zelensky.
Over 30 countries, including EU members and NATO allies, are part of the group led by France and the UK.
The state secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, Aleksandr Volfovich, believes it unlikely that the West wants to totally halt or even temporarily pause the fighting in the Ukraine conflict.
“We can see how painfully, unfortunately, the Western leadership – Western politicians above all – react to issues related to stopping or suspending hostilities… They are not interested in this,” Volfovich told STV television.
Kiev will try to come up with a cunning ploy for discussing the territorial issue, Pavel Feldman, a professor at the Academy of Labor and Social Relations told RT. He thinks that Zelensky faces a difficult dilemma after the summit in Alaska. If he rejects the peace initiative involving concessions, this will disappoint Trump and threaten to end aid.
“But if Zelensky publicly declares readiness to discuss the territorial issue, he will be immediately swept away by local nationalists, who are still obsessed with the idea of returning Ukraine to its 1991 borders,” Feldman said.
Most likely, Zelensky will demand abstract trilateral negotiations, but Russia is unlikely to agree to this, he added.
Speaking after a meeting of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would travel to Washington with Zelensky and other European leaders to present what he called a united front for “a robust, lasting peace.”
Macron stressed that “no discussion on Ukraine can take place without Ukrainians,” and tied any territorial questions to binding security guarantees. He insisted that Ukraine’s own army must remain “the first pillar” of its defense, reinforced by allied reassurance forces, with several states ready to contribute training, logistics, and a non-frontline presence. He added that France and Europe would press the US to clarify “how far and to what point” it is prepared to join these guarantees, claiming that European security depends on firmness against Russia.
Former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chas Freeman has told RT that the recent US-Russia talks made important progress toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, contrasting Trump’s approach with that of his predecessor. He said that during four years in office, “the Biden administration… never once really listened to Russia on the issues that President Putin has outlined,” whereas Trump “did listen” and “evidently took much of what President Putin said aboard.”
Freeman emphasized, however, that “a ceasefire is not a peace,” calling it only “a halt in the fighting, which could be resumed at any time.” He argued that Russia’s call for an end to the war is “entirely reasonable” and suggested Washington is beginning to conclude that “this war cannot be won by Ukraine, by NATO.” Instead, he urged that the conflict be used to “create a new security architecture in Europe which includes Ukraine,” pointing to the 1955 Austrian State Treaty as a model.
For Ukraine, Freeman said, the solution lies in adopting “a neutral status, with appropriate security guarantees from all who might disturb it, including Russia, and respect for the minorities within it, rather than attempts at forced assimilation, which is what started the civil war …in 2014.”
Kirill Dmitriev, President Putin’s envoy, has posted on his X account that European and British “warmongers and saboteurs” are in a state of panic, warning they should not stand in the way of peace. He replied to Trump’s Truth Social post which hailed “big progress on Russia".
US special envoy Steve Witkoff has said that Presidents Trump and Putin reached a breakthrough on security guarantees for Ukraine during their meeting on Friday. The leaders agreed to what he called “robust” and “game-changing” guarantees.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Witkoff revealed that Russia accepted language effectively offering Ukraine protections similar to NATO’s Article Five, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
Witkoff added that the proposal also includes legal commitments by Russia not to pursue territorial expansion once a peace agreement is finalized. That would mean enshrined guarantees against future aggression toward Ukraine or other European countries.
He argued the framework bypasses Ukraine’s long-stalled NATO bid while still delivering the core protection Kiev has sought for years: US-backed collective defense.
Trump has shared a post on his Truth Social account saying that “Ukraine must be willing to lose some territory to Russia otherwise the longer the war goes on they will keep losing even more land!!”
Key statements from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in interviews with CBS and Fox news:
1) On peace deal: “The only way to end this war is to get Russia to agree to a peace deal.”
2) On sanctions: “More sanctions on Russia would mean talks are over. They may make people feel good for a couple hours… But there’s no one else in the world that can talk to Putin apart from Trump.”
3) On Donbass claims: “I don’t know who told you [Trump supports Russia taking Donbass], but they don’t know what they’re talking about… In terms of territories, these are things Zelensky will have to decide on.”
4) On progress: “We’re not on the precipice of a peace agreement… There are still big areas of disagreement. But I do think progress was made.”
5) On negotiations: “The only way to reach a deal is for each side to get something and each side to give something. Very difficult. If it was easy, this wouldn’t have been going on for 3.5 years.”
6) On US role: “This is not our war. The US is not in a war. Ukraine is in a war… Trump is the only leader in the world who can bring Putin to the table.”
According to sources for German outlet Bild, Trump will first hold a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky before European leaders join for a working lunch and extended talks. Zelensky’s last White House visit in February ended in a heated Oval Office row with Trump and US Vice-President J.D. Vance, after which the US briefly froze military aid to Kiev.
The group traveling to Washington on Monday includes EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO chief Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Germany, France, Finland, the UK, and Italy.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has told CNN that during the Alaska summit on Friday, the Russian delegation “made some concessions at the table with regard to all five regions,” along the conflict front lines.
While Witkoff declined to provide specifics, he said the issue of potential land swaps would be high on the agenda of the Trump-Zelensky meeting at the White House on Monday. “Hopefully we can cut through and make some decisions right then and there,” Witkoff added, claiming that the Kremlin has made a “significant” shift from its previous demands and shown “moderation.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, US President Donald Trump teased “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA,” urging everyone to “STAY TUNED.”
In a post on X on Sunday, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky announced that he had held an “important meeting with President of the European Commission [Ursula von der Leyen] in Brussels.” He added that Brussels had provided “significant support for Ukraine in the context of the upcoming meeting with President Trump.”
In his statement, Zelensky reiterated Kiev’s insistence on a ceasefire being a precondition for further peace negotiations. Russia has opposed such a prospect and favors a comprehensive peace agreement, arguing that Ukraine would use any pause to replenish its weapons supplies and regroup troops.
In an X post of her own, von der Leyen confirmed that she would be traveling to the US on Monday along with several other Western European leaders to accompany Zelensky.