Joint Meeting of Trump, European Leaders, and Zelensky at the White House

U.S. President Donald Trump has invited several European leaders to attend a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday. This meeting comes as Washington’s diplomatic activities have intensified following the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

Reports from NewsNation, confirmed by international media, indicate that Zelensky will travel to Washington on Monday (August 18) for talks with Trump. The invitation to European leaders is considered part of the White House’s efforts to coordinate the West’s stance on the Ukraine war and to explore the prospects for peace negotiations with Russia.

American sources say that in recent discussions, Trump emphasized that he is seeking a comprehensive peace agreement rather than partial agreements or temporary ceasefires.

The Washington Post reported that Trump has significantly shifted his position following his meeting with Putin and is now insisting on a broad agreement between Ukraine and Russia. The Wall Street Journal further reported that in a recent phone call with Zelensky, the U.S. president expressed his desire to offer NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine, although it was stressed that these guarantees would not include a direct U.S. military presence.

Sources close to the negotiations stated that in his recent phone call, Trump informed Zelensky about talks with Putin, including Putin’s proposal to “stabilize the lines of conflict” in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk and Luhansk—a proposal that Kyiv has strongly rejected.

European leaders have also emphasized that no agreement is acceptable without Kyiv’s presence and consent, and that Europe will stand with Ukraine in any peace process.

According to The Guardian, the purpose of this joint meeting in Washington is to find a way to break the deadlock in negotiations and create the conditions for multilateral talks. Zelensky’s presence at the White House alongside European leaders comes after Trump told Fox News yesterday, following his meeting with Putin, that he had reached agreements on multiple issues and that Zelensky should sign them.

Trump stated: “I think we are very close to an agreement, and Ukraine should agree, although they may not. My advice to Ukrainian President Zelensky is to reach an agreement.”

The Trump-Putin summit in Alaska was held amid sharp criticism from Kyiv and its European allies due to Ukraine’s absence from the negotiations.

Zelensky has stressed that any territorial agreement would require changes to Ukraine’s constitution and a nationwide referendum. European countries, including Germany, France, and Poland, issued a joint statement asserting that altering international borders by force violates international law and that any negotiations must take place within the framework of a ceasefire.