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Monday, August 18, 2025

Zelenskyy-Trump assembly: Ukraine’s chief brings Europe’s high leaders with him to satisfy Trump on ending Russia’s battle


Ukraine’s future might hinge on a unexpectedly assembled assembly Monday on the White Home as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings with him a unprecedented cadre of European leaders to indicate U.S. President Donald Trump a united entrance towards Russia.

The European political heavy-hitters have been unnoticed of Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin final Friday, and so they wish to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow.

By arriving as a bunch, they hope to keep away from any debacles like Zelenskyy’s February assembly within the Oval Workplace, the place Trump chastised him for not exhibiting sufficient gratitude for American army help. The assembly is also a check of America’s relationship with its closest allies after the European Union and United Kingdom accepted Trump’s tariff hikes partly as a result of they needed his assist on Ukraine.

Monday’s exhibiting is an indication each of the progress and the potential misery popping out of the Alaska assembly as a lot of Europe’s leaders are descending on Washington with the specific objective of defending Ukraine’s pursuits, a uncommon and sweeping present of diplomatic power.

“It is necessary that America agrees to work with Europe to offer safety ensures for Ukraine, and due to this fact for all of Europe,” Zelenskyy mentioned on X.

The evening earlier than the assembly, nevertheless, Trump appeared to place the onus on Zelenskyy to comply with concessions and instructed that Ukraine couldn’t regain Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, setting off an armed battle that led to its broader 2022 invasion.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can finish the battle with Russia virtually instantly, if he desires to, or he can proceed to combat,” he wrote Sunday evening on social media. “Bear in mind the way it began. No getting again Obama given Crimea (12 years in the past, with out a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some issues by no means change!!!”

Zelenskyy appeared to reply together with his personal put up late Sunday, saying, “All of us share a robust want to finish this battle rapidly and reliably.” He went on to say that “peace should be lasting,” not because it was after Russia seized Crimea and a part of the Donbas in japanese Ukraine eight years in the past, and “Putin merely used it as a springboard for a brand new assault.”

The sitdown in Alaska yielded the potential contours for stopping the battle in Ukraine, although it was unclear whether or not the phrases mentioned would in the end be acceptable to Zelenskyy or Putin.

Upon arrival in Washington, Zelenskyy mentioned in one other social media put up: “All of us equally need to finish this battle rapidly and reliably. And the peace should be lasting.”

He expressed hope that along with the U.S. and European nations Ukraine will have the ability to power Russia to “true peace.”

European heavyweights in Washington

Planning to affix Zelenskyy in America’s capital are European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-Normal Mark Rutte.

On the desk for dialogue are potential NATO-like safety ensures that Ukraine would wish for any peace with Russia to be sturdy. Putin opposes Ukraine becoming a member of NATO outright, but Trump’s crew claims the Russian chief is open to allies agreeing to defend Ukraine if it comes below assault.

Trump briefed Zelenskyy and European allies shortly after the Putin assembly, and particulars from the discussions emerged in a scattershot approach that appeared to rankle the U.S. president, who had chosen to not define any phrases when showing afterward with Putin.

“BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA,” Trump posted Sunday on social media. The president additionally bemoaned media protection of his summit with Putin, saying on Fact Social: “I had an awesome assembly in Alaska.”

Following the Alaska summit, Trump declared {that a} ceasefire was not vital for peace talks to proceed, a sudden shift to a place favored by Putin.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned Sunday {that a} ceasefire was nonetheless potential however that “the easiest way to finish this battle is thru a full peace deal.”

‘A really huge transfer’

European officers confirmed that Trump informed them Putin remains to be searching for management of the whole Donbas area, regardless that Ukraine controls a significant share of it.

And Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, mentioned the U.S. and its allies might supply Ukraine a NATO-like dedication to defend the nation if it got here below assault because the potential safety assure.

“How that is constructed, what we name it, the way it’s constructed, what ensures are constructed into it which might be enforceable, that is what we’ll be speaking about over the following few days with our companions who’re coming in from abroad,” Rubio informed NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Rubio mentioned on Fox Information’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that such a dedication “could be a really huge transfer” by Trump. He expects the delegations will “spend six, seven hours speaking about these items, possibly extra, and attempt to get to a degree the place now we have one thing extra concrete.”

Monday’s assembly will seemingly be very powerful for Zelenskyy, an official near the continued talks mentioned. That official spoke on situation of anonymity to talk brazenly about considering inside Ukraine and between allies.

Zelenskyy wants to forestall a state of affairs during which he will get blamed for blocking peace talks by rejecting Putin’s maximalist demand on the Donbas, the official mentioned. It’s a demand Zelenskyy has mentioned many occasions he won’t ever settle for as a result of it’s unconstitutional and will create a launching pad for future Russian assaults.

If confronted with strain to just accept Putin’s calls for, Zelenskyy would seemingly should revert to a ability he has demonstrated repeatedly: diplomatic tact. Ukrainian management is searching for a trilateral assembly with Zelenskyy, Trump and Putin to debate delicate issues, together with territorial points.

Trump’s ambition to finish the battle

After enduring a public tirade by Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February, Zelenskyy labored to restore relations with the U.S.

Fixed diplomatic communication and a 15-minute assembly on the Vatican in April on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral helped flip the tide. Trump appeared on the time to be swayed by Zelenskyy’s situations for peace.

However Trump says he cares primarily about ending the battle, an ambition that led him after his assembly with Putin to discard the necessity for a ceasefire.

European allies even have labored with Trump, reaching a deal in July for NATO allies to purchase weapons from the U.S. for Ukraine.

Forward of Monday’s assembly, France’s Macron harassed the significance of increase Ukraine’s army and the necessity to present Putin that Europe interprets his strikes as a menace to different nations.

“If we’re weak with Russia in the present day, we’ll be getting ready the conflicts of tomorrow and they’ll affect the Ukrainians and – make no mistake – they will affect us, too,” Macron mentioned.

Russia continues assaults on Ukraine

Within the meantime, the Russian forces continued to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones.

A Russian drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest metropolis, killed six civilians late on Sunday. Among the many victims was a toddler and a 16-year-old, in keeping with native officers. The strike additionally injured 20 folks, together with six youngsters, authorities mentioned.

Russian aerial assaults additionally focused the northeastern Sumy area and the southern Odesa area.

In Zaporizhzhia, a metropolis within the southeast, 17 folks have been injured in an assault on Monday, in keeping with regional head Ivan Fedorov.

Ukraine’s Air Pressure mentioned Russia launched a complete of 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 140 Shahed and decoy drones throughout Ukraine in a single day, of which 88 drones have been intercepted or jammed.

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