President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday, August 18, 2025, for a high-stakes meeting aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The summit followed Trump’s recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which ended without a ceasefire but opened the door to further negotiations.
Zelensky, dressed in a formal black suit, expressed openness to a trilateral summit involving Trump and Putin, stating, “We are ready for trilateral.” Trump echoed the sentiment, saying, “If everything works out well today, we’ll have a trilateral and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that.”
The tone between the two leaders was notably more cordial than during Zelensky’s last visit in February, which had devolved into a tense exchange. This time, Trump praised Zelensky’s demeanor and attire, while Zelensky thanked Trump for his efforts to broker peace.
European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte joined the meeting in a show of support for Ukraine. Trump emphasized that the United States would provide “very good protection” for Ukraine, though he stopped short of detailing what that would entail.
Despite the diplomatic optimism, Trump reiterated controversial views that align with Russian demands, suggesting Ukraine should cede Crimea and abandon its NATO ambitions. Zelensky did not publicly respond to those remarks during the meeting.
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The summit concluded with a “family photo” of the leaders and a private session to discuss security guarantees. Trump hinted that the U.S. might consider collective defense measures similar to NATO’s Article 5, though no formal commitments were made.
The meeting marks a pivotal moment in Trump’s foreign policy approach, as he seeks to position himself as a mediator in one of the world’s most volatile conflicts.
Source: Yahoo News
