Kyiv (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet US President Donald Trump on Monday, 18 August, after the US-Russia summit ended without a deal.
As reported by The Guardian, Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday after Trump’s Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin failed to reach an agreement.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s views on the upcoming meeting with Trump
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke at length with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, following Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
He expressed gratitude to Trump for inviting him to Washington on Monday. He added they would discuss all details to end the killings and the conflict.
The Ukrainian prime minister confirmed a call with counterpart Trump, saying,
“This call lasted for more than an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral conversation with President Trump.”
Mr Zelensky posted on X,
“Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace. We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasises that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.”
He added,
“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation.”
Mr Zelensky highlighted that Europe, like Ukraine, was left out of the 15 August summit and must be involved.
He stated,
“It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America. We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security. We continue to coordinate our positions with all partners. I thank everyone who is helping.
What did Trump say about meetings with Zelensky?
President Trump said Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will visit the D.C. Oval Office on Monday afternoon.
According to sources, “if it all works out”, Trump plans to “schedule a meeting with President Putin.”
During the Alaska summit, he said the best way to end the Ukraine war is a direct peace agreement rather than a ceasefire.
He told reporters in Alaska that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” responding to Putin’s claim of an “understanding” on Ukraine and warning Europe not to derail progress.
Mr Trump stated,
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal. I will call up NATO… I’ll, of course, call up [Ukraine’s] president Zelenskyy and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them.”
Which European leaders joined Trump’s post-Alaska call?
According to the Élysée, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke Saturday morning with Donald Trump and European leaders after Trump’s Alaska meeting with Putin.
Seven European leaders and NATO’s Secretary General joined the one-hour phone call:
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Friedrich Merz
- Keir Starmer
- Giorgia Meloni
- Alexander Stubb
- Karol Nawrocki
- Mark Rutte
European leaders’ views on the Trump-Putin Alaska summit
Italy’s deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, stated,
“Every step forward towards peace, like this one, is good news. As Pope Leo said, may diplomacy speak again in place of weapons, without anyone obstructing it.”
Espen Barth Eide, the Norwegian foreign minister, stated,
“President Putin of Russia reiterated known arguments, such as emphasising the so-called ‘root causes’ of the war, which is code for the Russian justification for the illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
He stressed the need to maintain pressure on Russia while addressing Ukraine’s needs.
Jan Lipavský, the Czech foreign minister, welcomed President Trump’s efforts to halt the war but rejected Putin’s claims about the “roots of the conflict” as pure propaganda.
He added,
“The problem is Russian imperialism, not Ukraine’s desire to live freely. If Putin were serious about negotiating peace, he would not have been attacking Ukraine all day today.”
Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuania’s defence minister, condemned Putin for ‘gaslighting and veiled threats’ toward Ukraine and Europe during the press conference, urging nations not to derail talks.
Hungary’s PM, Viktor Orbán, added,
“For years, we have watched the two largest nuclear powers eliminate the framework of their cooperation and send messages to each other. It’s over now. The world is a safer place today than it was yesterday.”
Vasyl Myroshnychenko’s stance on Putin and the Ukraine war
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, said that Mr Putin views an independent, democratic Ukraine as the root cause of the war.
He stated,
“When Putin talks about the ‘root cause of war’, it’s an independent Ukraine on the map of Europe. That’s the only cause of war for Russia. He planned to take over Kyiv in several days, the entire Ukraine in several weeks … he is pursuing his ambition of destroying democracy next door.”
Mr Myroshnychenko added,
“Putin is just out there on his mission to revive the Soviet Union, to revive the Russian empire, and it can’t be revived without Ukraine. Just overnight, as we speak, Russians have attacked many Ukrainian cities, sending many drones. So we don’t really see any indication of him ending his war.”
Zelensky’s views after meeting with Sir Keir Starmer
Just before the Alaska summit, Mr Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met in Downing Street.
Referring to the meeting, the Ukrainian president added,
“We continue to coordinate our positions. We discussed expectations for the meeting in Alaska and possible prospects. We also discussed in considerable detail the security guarantees that can make peace truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killings and engage in genuine, substantive diplomacy.”
Key facts about the Ukraine-Russia war
The conflict began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in February–March 2014, followed by the War in Donbas (2014–2022). Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
As of mid-2025, Russian military casualties are estimated at over 1 million, including up to 250,000 deaths. Ukraine has suffered 60,000–100,000 military deaths and over 400,000 wounded. Civilian casualties exceed 49,000, with more than 13,883 killed and 35,548 injured.