Washington — President Trump is ready to fulfill with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on the White Home on Monday because the U.S. pursues a long-lasting peace settlement to finish Russia’s battle in Ukraine.
Mr. Trump introduced the assembly early Saturday, following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. In a submit on Reality Social, the president mentioned the assembly with Putin “went very well,” including that the identical was true of a telephone name with Zelenskyy and varied European leaders after the actual fact.
“President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.”
European and NATO leaders are anticipated to accompany Zelenskyy to Washington, together with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, who mentioned she was becoming a member of at “the request of President Zelenskyy.”
Although the almost three-hour-long assembly between the U.S. and Russian presidents on Friday failed to provide the ceasefire that Mr. Trump had sought, the administration has since pivoted to looking for a broader peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia. The choice to desert a ceasefire was at odds with the objectives of the U.S. and European allies heading into the summit, and a few analysts say the shift may give Putin extra leverage on the negotiating desk.
President Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Andrew Harnik / Getty Photos
Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday that “both sides are going to have to make concessions” to get there.
“We want to wind up with a peace deal that ends this war so Ukraine can go on with the rest of their lives and rebuild their country and be assured that this is never going to happen again,” Rubio mentioned, noting that doing so would require each side “to give.”
The secretary of state, who attended Friday’s summit assembly with Putin, indicated that sufficient progress was made to sit down down with Zelenskyy to “narrow the gap between the two sides.”
Rubio mentioned the main points of safety ensures for Ukraine, the query of territories and the difficulty of rebuilding the nation nonetheless must be mentioned and “require some more specificity.”
In the meantime, U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday that Putin agreed to permit the U.S. and Europe to supply “game-changing” safety ensures, together with a potential association during which the allies present “Article 5-like protection” to Ukraine. Article 5 of the NATO constitution says an assault on one member nation is taken into account an assault in opposition to all. Putin has been vehemently against Ukraine becoming a member of NATO, however the same safety assure exterior the framework of the alliance would possibly reassure Kyiv that Russia could be deterred from attacking sooner or later.
Witkoff famous that the administration intends to debate a potential land swap at Monday’s assembly.
“We’re not waiting a week for a meeting with Zelenskyy and the European leaders,” Witkoff mentioned. “We are intent on trying to hammer out a peace deal that ends the fighting permanently, very, very quickly. Quicker than a ceasefire.”
In a Reality Social submit Sunday night time, Mr. Trump mentioned, “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!” Mr. Trump was referring to Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea in early 2014, whereas Barack Obama was president.
However in a submit of his personal Sunday night time, on X, Zelenskyy mentioned he’d arrived in Washington for the talks and insisted, “Russia must end this war, which it itself started. And I hope that our joint strength with America, with our European friends, will force Russia into a real peace.”
“Despite all of the diplomacy and peace efforts, Russia continues to kill civilians,” Ukraine’s Minister of International Affairs Andrii Sybiha mentioned in a social media submit. “Russia is a murderous war machine that Ukraine is holding back. And it must be stopped through transatlantic unity and pressure. Moscow must stop the killing in order to advance diplomacy.”
Russian state media reported Ukraine had carried out a drone assault in Donetsk, in a single day which killed a 62-year-old lady.
Monday’s assembly between Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy additionally comes months after a contentious February Oval Workplace assembly between the 2 leaders and Vice President JD Vance uncovered a extreme rift, with tensions erupting on digicam as Vance accused Zelenskyy of ingratitude. In current months, Mr. Trump’s posture appeared to shift as he expressed frustration with Putin over Russia’s ongoing drone and missile assaults, together with what Ukraine described as the most important such assaults for the reason that invasion started in February 2022.
Haley Ott and
Brian Dakss
contributed to this report.
