Key things to know about Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump

 New York, August 18

U.S. President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House on Monday to discuss ways to end Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine.

The meeting comes just days after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Trump shifted his position — dropping the demand for a ceasefire before further talks and instead backing Putin’s view that negotiations should focus on a long-term settlement.

European leaders’ presence in Washington highlights how the outcome of the conflict affects not just Ukraine but the security of the entire continent. They also want to show support for Zelenskyy, especially after his last tense visit to the White House. Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to meet privately before the wider talks.

Trump suggested on social media that Zelenskyy could “end the war almost immediately if he wants to,” raising questions about whether the U.S. is pressuring Ukraine to make concessions. Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up the eastern Donbas region and accept Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea — terms Zelenskyy has firmly rejected since Ukraine’s constitution forbids giving up land.

Ukraine currently controls about 80% of its territory, while Russia holds roughly 20%. Freezing the current front line may be the most compromise Ukrainians would accept.

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, are joining the talks. They argue Ukraine is Europe’s frontline defense against Russian aggression.

Meanwhile, fighting continues. A Russian drone strike on Kharkiv late Sunday killed six people, including two children, and injured 20 others. Russia also reported shooting down 23 Ukrainian drones overnight across its regions and occupied Crimea.

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