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Trump and Zelensky Hold Cordial White House Talks, Eye Trilateral Summit with Putin

European allies resisted pressure for land concessions, seeking enforceable security guarantees to back Trump’s diplomatic initiative

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.
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Overview

  • Trump and Zelensky engaged in a markedly cordial Oval Office meeting that contrasted with their February confrontation
  • The U.S. president proposed a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a potential path to ending the war, though no date was set
  • Trump offered broad NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine but declined to outline specific troop commitments or binding legal frameworks
  • Major European leaders convened in Washington to demonstrate unified support for Kyiv and to oppose any coercive demands over Donbas or recognition of Crimea
  • Russian strikes on Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia killed civilians during the talks, underscoring the gap between diplomatic efforts and battlefield realities