What to know of Trump’s talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders | Russia-Ukraine War News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the best Europeans The leaders met President Donald Trump in the White House on Monday to discuss the plans aimed at ending the Russian war in Ukraine.

Trump designed the meeting after last week three -hour summit With Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Putin rejected the idea of a cease-fire before reaching a complete peace agreement and urged Ukraine to return a territory to the east in exchange for freezing the front line elsewhere.

The interactions of Trump and Zelenskyy were notably warmer than during their tense meeting in the White House in February, the American president even praising the costume of his counterpart.

Here are the main points to remember:

Trump says the United States will offer Ukraine “very good protection”

Trump said the United States would support Europe in the protection of Ukraine as part of an agreement to end the war with Russia.

“Regarding security, there will be a lot of aid,” said Trump, describing European countries as the “first line of defense”.

“We have people waiting in another room, right now, they are all here in Europe,” added Trump. “The biggest people in Europe. And they want to offer protection. They are very strongly on this, and we will help them with that. ”

Trump also said that Ukraine’s American support would continue regardless of talks.

“It is never the end of the road. People are killed, and we want to stop this. So, I wouldn’t say it was the end of the road. I think we have a good chance of doing so,” he said.

Zelenskyy greeted Commitment as “a major step”.

He later told journalists that Ukraine had offered to buy around $ 90 billion in American weapons.

Zelenskyy says that it is open to the elections in Ukraine, in the event of security

Zelenskyy supported the elections, provided they were detained in safe circumstances.

“Yes, of course. We are open, yes … We have to work in Parliament because during the war, you cannot have elections, but we can, we can do security,” said Zelenskyy.

“We need a truce … to allow people to make democratic, open, legal and legal elections,” he added.

Trump says the ceasefire is not necessary

When asked if he would make his promise last week to impose “serious consequences” on Russia if it does not end the war, Trump replied that a cease-fire may not be necessary.

“I don’t think you need a ceasefire,” said Trump.

“You know, if you look at the six offers that I have paid this year, they were all at war. I did not cease to cease. And I know that it could be good to have, but I can also understand strategically why one country or the other did not want it,” he said.

“But we can work on an agreement where we are working on a peace agreement while they are fighting,” added Trump.

“They have to fight. I want them to stop. ”

Trump claimed the merit of helping to end six wars, including conflicts between India and Pakistan and Cambodia and Thailand.

Ukraine needs “everything” linked to security guarantees: Zelenskyy

Asked about the guarantees that Zelenskyy would need Trump to accept an agreement, the Ukrainian chief replied: “Everything”.

“It includes two parties. First, a strong Ukrainian army that I started to chat with your colleagues, and it is a lot of weapons and people and problems of training and intelligence,” said Zelenskyy.

Today, important negotiations have taken place in Washington. We discussed many problems with President Trump. It was a long and detailed conversation, including discussions on the situation on the battlefield and our steps to bring peace closer. There have also been several meetings in a… pic.twitter.com/yqkdrlykci

– Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@zelenskyyua) August 19, 2025

Trump sits with European leaders

After his first meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump held a multilateral meeting with the Ukrainian leader and European leaders, notably the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the French president Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The American president described it as an “honor” to meet with them in the White House, saying that they were united with their aim of putting an end to the Russian war in Ukraine.

“We have had a very successful day so far and important discussions when we work to end the murder and stop the war in Ukraine,” said Trump.

President Trump and President Zelenskyy en route to meet European leaders pic.twitter.com/ehvttm7ndl

– Margo Martin (@ margomartin47) August 18, 2025

Trump will look for a summit Between Zelenskyy and Putin

“At the end of the meetings, I called President Putin and started the provisions of a meeting, in a place to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” he wrote in an article on Truth Social after the talks.

Trump said Russia has agreed to accept security guarantees for Ukraine

“This is one of the key points that we have to consider, and we will consider this at the table,” said Trump.

He expressed his optimism according to which, collectively, an agreement could be concluded to dissuade the attack against Ukraine.

Putin-Zelenskyy’s discussions will probably be involved in a territory

Trump also said that discussions should approach the possible exchange of territory.

“In the end, this is a decision that can only be made by President Zelenskyy and by the inhabitants of Ukraine, also working in agreement with President Putin,” said Trump.

Russia controls approximately a fifth from Ukraine, according to open source estimates. Ukraine, which took control of a large part of the Kursk Russia region during a surprise counter-offensive last year, currently has no Russian territory.

Trump added that he expected Putin soon released Ukrainian prisoners.

European leaders present positions

• NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte said the priority must be to stop murder, as well as the destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure, thanking Trump for “breaking the dead end”.
• The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the emphasis must be put on a “fair and lasting peace for Ukraine”, and added: “Each child must return to his family”, referring to the forced elimination of Ukrainian children in Russia and Belarus.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz He said that he “cannot imagine that the next meeting would constantly take place”, urging the allies to “work on it and try to put pressure on Russia”.
• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Underlined that one of the most important questions is security guarantees and “how to make sure that this will not happen again, which is the prerequisite for all kinds of peace”.
• French president Emmanuel Macron said the objective must be a “robust and long -standing peace”, and called the idea of a “very important trilateral meeting because it is the only way to repair it”. He also suggested that “we will need boots on the ground” to ensure peace.

Everyone around this table is in favor of peace. pic.twitter.com/f7wyi8mq8m

– Emmanuel Macron (@emmanuelmacron) August 18, 2025

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the talks did not only concern Ukraine, but “the security of Europe and the United Kingdom too, that is why this is such an important question”.
• Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that the rally itself was “symbolic, in the sense that it is Team Europe and Team United States helping Ukraine”. Noting the long border of Finland with Russia, he added: “We found a solution in 1944, and I am sure that we can find a solution in 2025 to end the war of aggression of Russia, find and obtain a lasting and fair peace.”

What is the next step?

The leaders of the European Council will keep a video call tomorrow to examine the talks on Monday, said President Antonio Costa.

In an article on X, Costa said the call would take place at 1 p.m. Brussels time (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday.