Zelenskyy heads to Washington to meet Trump, just days after Putin’s red-carpet welcome.
GLOBAL EVENTS
Before the meeting, Trump signaled that the responsibility for ending the war rests with Ukraine, stressing that Kyiv should relinquish its claim to Russian-annexed Crimea and abandon its NATO membership ambitions — both central demands of the Kremlin.
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday afternoon, just days after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin left an Alaska summit without striking a ceasefire deal.
Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington includes several European leaders such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The high-stakes talks come as Trump has stepped up efforts to end the war in Ukraine — now in its fourth year — while insisting the conflict would never have erupted had he been president at the time of Russia’s invasion. After his discussions with Putin, Trump shifted his focus from temporary ceasefires, which he criticized as unstable, toward negotiating a broader “peace agreement.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, said Sunday that a ceasefire was still “not off the table,” even though Moscow has shown no signs of halting its offensive.
On Truth Social Sunday night, Trump suggested the responsibility for ending the war lies with Zelenskyy, stressing that Ukraine must surrender Russian-annexed Crimea and abandon its NATO ambitions — both of which are central demands from the Kremlin.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote.
Trump also hinted that if Monday’s talks prove successful, he would seek a follow-up meeting with Putin to push for a permanent settlement.
Security Guarantees at the Forefront
A key topic on the agenda will be Ukraine’s request for firm security commitments. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff suggested these could resemble NATO’s Article 5 — which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all — though such commitments would require Senate approval. Both U.S. lawmakers and European officials have emphasized the need for binding guarantees. European leaders also want clarity on Trump’s talk of “land swaps,” with one official cautioning that Kyiv is unlikely to ever concede the entire Donbas region, much of which remains under Russian control.
Zelenskyy, who confirmed his arrival in Washington on Sunday via X, expressed confidence: “I am certain we will defend Ukraine, secure our future, and our people will remain grateful to President Trump. Russia must end this war it started.”
A Tense History
This will be Zelenskyy’s first White House visit since February, when a televised clash with Trump and Vice President JD Vance shocked U.S. allies. At that meeting, Trump accused Zelenskyy of being ungrateful for American support, saying, “You’re gambling with World War III.” The meeting ended abruptly.
Since then, the two leaders have met outside Washington — briefly at the Vatican in April during the pope’s funeral and privately during June’s NATO summit. Trump has previously branded Zelenskyy a “dictator” and wrongly accused Ukraine of sparking the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Putin’s Red Carpet Moment
The backdrop to Monday’s meeting is Trump’s controversial encounter with Putin in Alaska. The Kremlin leader was given a red-carpet welcome and even rode with Trump in the presidential limousine, “The Beast.” The event ended with a short 12-minute press appearance but no ceasefire agreement.
Trump had warned ahead of the summit that he expected progress on a ceasefire and threatened “economically severe” consequences if Putin refused to pursue peace. Rubio, however, argued on NBC’s Meet the Press that further sanctions were unlikely to force Moscow’s hand.
Witkoff later defended Trump, saying the president had realized the U.S. should aim for a comprehensive peace deal rather than another temporary truce. “The ultimate deal here is a peace deal,” Witkoff said on Fox News Sunday.