Trump-Zelenskyy White House meeting: Latest updates
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump (photo: president.gov.ua)
Today, August 18, a key meeting will take place in Washington – Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold talks with Donald Trump, and later European leaders will join them. The main topic is defining the next steps toward achieving peace in Ukraine.
What is known about the Zelenskyy–Trump meeting and what led up to it?
Key takeaways:
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The Zelenskyy–Trump meeting is scheduled for 20:15 Kyiv time.
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First, the presidents will talk face-to-face (media report that US Vice President JD Vance may also join), and later European leaders will join them.
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Among the participants: Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Rutte, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, Alexander Stubb.
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Negotiations will begin at 22:00 in an expanded format.
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The key topic is the terms of a peace agreement and security guarantees for Ukraine.
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Trump hinted that a quick peace is possible if Kyiv gives up Crimea and NATO, while Zelenskyy responded that peace must be lasting and genuine.
Meeting schedule
It is expected that first Trump and Zelenskyy will hold a face-to-face conversation. Their meeting is scheduled for 20:15 Kyiv time in Washington.
After that, European leaders will join them, with the American president meeting them at 21:15. They will take a joint photo, and at 22:00 negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States with European leaders are scheduled.
It is known that the following will attend the negotiations:
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President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
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President of Finland Alexander Stubb
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Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz
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Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni
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President of France Emmanuel Macron
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Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer
What will be discussed
It is expected that today the parties will discuss in detail the terms of a peace agreement, which the US president previously discussed with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, and determine the next steps toward achieving peace.
Earlier, the Ukrainian president stated that one of the key points on his agenda is securing reliable security guarantees from the US leader against further Russian aggression.
In his post on social network X, he said that today in Washington there will be a meeting to end the war.
"We will have a discussion with President Trump about key issues. Along with Ukraine, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO will participate in the conversation. Everyone wants a just peace and genuine security," Zelenskyy wrote.
According to Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who traveled to meet Putin before the Russian president's meeting with the US president in Alaska, today in Washington they are allegedly going to discuss the issue of so-called territorial exchange, an idea promoted by Trump.
At the same time, Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social that today will be a "big day at the White House" and hinted that it is possible to end the war "almost immediately" if Kyiv gives up Crimea and NATO membership. Zelenskyy has already indirectly responded to such claims.
"Peace must be lasting. Not like years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East — part of Donbas — and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was supposedly given 'security guarantees' in 1994, but they did not work," he wrote on Telegram.
The head of state also emphasized that the Russian army carried out a completely demonstrative and cynical strike on the day of the meeting in Washington (last night Kharkiv, Sumy, and Odesa were among the cities hit).
"Putin will demonstratively kill in order to continue pressuring Ukraine, Europe, and to humiliate diplomatic efforts. That is why we are waiting for help in stopping the killings. That is why reliable security guarantees are needed. That is why Russia must not receive any reward for this war. The war must be ended. And the one who must hear 'stop' is Moscow," Zelenskyy noted.
What happened in Alaska before the meeting in Washington
On August 15, 2025, negotiations between Putin and Trump took place in Alaska, USA. The main topic of the meeting was ending Russia's war against Ukraine, but no specific agreements were announced as a result.
The US president did not receive from the president any commitments on a ceasefire, nor public promises regarding the next meeting with Zelenskyy. The leaders canceled the planned lunch and left earlier, although both called the meeting successful.
Western media described this visit as a victory for Putin, as the president, who had been in political isolation since February 2022, walked from his plane at Anchorage airport down a red carpet to Trump's applause.
In short, after meeting with Putin, the head of the White House suddenly shifted away from the topic of reaching a comprehensive ceasefire and took the bait of Putin's claim that what was needed immediately was a comprehensive peace treaty.
Western media have already published a number of reports on what the Kremlin leader may have proposed to the US president as conditions for peace.
According to The New York Times and Axios, among the ultimatums were the transfer of the entire Donbas to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire along the entire front line and promises not to attack Ukraine or other European countries. The Kremlin is also seeking recognition of Crimea as Russian, Ukraine's rejection of NATO membership, as well as other demands concerning the status of the Russian language and the Russian church.
In return, Putin allegedly promises to provide Kyiv with certain security guarantees, including with the participation of some countries, among which China is even mentioned. The idea of creating a mechanism that would work like NATO Article 5 is also being discussed.
Ukraine, however, insists that the key issue remains stopping the killing of civilians. Trump, for his part, stated that now everything depends on President Zelenskyy.
Dispute in the White House and efforts of EU leaders
According to Politico, European leaders are making significant efforts to prevent a conflict in the Oval Office, since the last meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in the White House ended in a quarrel. Therefore, to avoid tension, they are also joining the negotiations.
At the end of February 2025, instead of signing a framework agreement on cooperation in the mineral sector, the presidents quarreled in the Oval Office over security issues and the protection of Ukrainian interests. Zelenskyy left the White House early, and the signing of the agreements was postponed.
Interestingly, US Vice President JD Vance, who was mostly the initiator of the altercation and accused Zelenskyy of insufficient gratitude, will also join today's talks between the presidents, ABC News writes.
In addition, the White House has reportedly asked Ukrainian officials whether President Zelenskyy will wear a suit to the meeting with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, Axios reports citing sources.
During the February meeting of the leaders in the White House, the style of clothing of the Ukrainian president became a source of irritation for Trump.
At the same time, according to Axios sources, Zelenskyy will appear in the White House on Monday in the same black jacket he wore at the NATO summit in the Netherlands in June. Reportedly, it will be in the style of a suit, but not a full suit.
For more on what to expect from today's meeting of the presidents in the White House, read the RBC-Ukraine article: From Alaska to Washington: Three scenarios for Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump.
Sources: The New York Times, Axios, Politico, ABC News.
