The visit on Monday comes after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska

US President Donald Trump greets Vladimir Zelensky at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. ©  Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several Western European leaders have arrived in Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump.

Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, their first face-to-face talks since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Both leaders voiced cautious optimism that the discussions could help move towards a resolution of the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev.

Zelensky announced in a post on X on Saturday that he would be traveling to the US capital on Monday, with Trump confirming the meeting on his Truth Social platform later in the day.

On Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a social media post that she and several Western European leaders would be joining Zelensky at his request to meet with Trump.

Meanwhile, several US officials have claimed that considerable progress has been made in reaching a compromise peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

18 August 2025

19:25 GMT

Zelensky has said he is ready to discuss various issues, including territory, at a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump.

19:25 GMT

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.

19:23 GMT

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.

19:17 GMT

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he cannot imagine the next meeting on the Ukraine conflict taking place without a ceasefire, urging that pressure be put on Russia. Trump has previously said the conflict should be ended through a permanent agreement rather than a mere ceasefire.

19:14 GMT

Trump has said he believes the next step in resolving the conflict should be a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin, and Zelensky.

19:06 GMT

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.

19:00 GMT

The meeting has begun between Trump, European leaders and officials, and Zelensky.

 

 

19:00 GMT

Trump has posed for a ‘family photo’ with European leaders and Zelensky.

 

 

18:56 GMT

Trump and Zelensky have left for a meeting with European leaders, according to the White House.

18:41 GMT

The Trump–Zelensky meeting is reportedly continuing behind closed doors. According to the White House schedule, no joint statement is expected afterwards.

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