European leaders join Zelensky in Washington for peace talks
The meeting comes after a summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that failed to deliver an immediate ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be joined by several European leaders in Washington on Monday, August 18, 2025, for talks with US President Donald Trump, as part of an effort to find a solution to Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting comes after a summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that failed to deliver an immediate ceasefire.
Following the summit, Trump shifted focus to pursuing a broader peace deal, posting on Truth Social: “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!” without giving further details.
Trump’s Russia envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US and Russia had agreed on “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine. However, Zelensky, speaking in Brussels with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, rejected any guarantees coming from Russia.
“What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin’s thoughts, because Putin will not give any security guarantees,” he said.
Von der Leyen welcomed the US offer to provide security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5, stressing that the “coalition of the willing,” including the EU, is ready to support Ukraine.
European leaders joining Zelensky in Washington include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubbs.
The group held a video meeting on Sunday to coordinate their joint position.
Witkoff expressed hope for a productive outcome, saying the coalition aimed to reach a consensus that could push a peace deal forward.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned of potential new sanctions on Russia if negotiations fail.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, the conflict continues, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones at each other on Sunday. Reports suggest the US may consider territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine as part of the negotiations, but Zelensky has refused to cede the Donbas region.
