Topline
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived Monday at the White House for his meeting with President Donald Trump that comes days after he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for the first time amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 18: U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump is hosting President Zelensky at the White House for a bilateral meeting and later an expanded meeting with European leaders to discuss a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump greeted Zelenskyy outside the White House around 1:15 p.m. EDT on Monday.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will also meet with Trump and Zelenskyy after their one-on-one sitdown.
The meeting comes after Trump’s sitdown with Putin in Alaska on Friday ended without a ceasefire agreement.
Trump and Putin offered minimal details of their discussion, though Trump said Saturday on Truth Social he is now calling for a “peace agreement” to end the war “and not a mere Ceasefire.”
Zelenskyy and the European leaders are expected to press Trump on what kind of security guarantees the U.S. could offer Ukraine in exchange for a possible agreement for it to cede territory to Russia in order to end the war.
Key Background
Trump softened his rhetoric toward Putin after their meeting Friday, expressing support for Putin’s preference to end the war instead of a ceasefire. Trump also walked back his promise for “severe consequences” if Putin didn’t agree to end the war, telling Fox News he did not think sanctions were necessary. Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy comes after their last Oval Office sitdown devolved into a shouting match between the Ukrainian leader and Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who accused him of being ungrateful for U.S. support and “disrespectful” to Trump.
Further Reading
Trump And Zelenskyy Set For High-Stakes White House Meeting Monday: Here’s What To Know (Forbes)
Trump Says ‘No Deal’ With Putin Following Meeting In Alaska (Forbes)
Trump Will Meet Zelensky In D.C. Monday After Alaska Meeting With Putin (Forbes)
