New Delhi, Aug 18 (UNI) : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington DC ahead of high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump, expressing confidence that Ukraine can secure international security guarantees with the backing of European allies.
“I have already arrived in Washington. Tomorrow I’m meeting with President Trump, and also holding talks with European leaders. I’m grateful to @POTUS for the invitation,” Zelensky wrote on X.
Zelensky is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Trump in the Oval Office, followed by a broader meeting between Trump and key European leaders.
“We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and in a lasting, reliable way. Peace must be durable,” Zelensky added.
Zelensky suggested new security guarantees would need to be stronger than those that “didn’t work” in the past, citing the loss of Crimea to Russia, which Moscow’s illegally annexed in 2014.
“Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their independence,” he said, adding that he hoped the show of strength from the US and Europe would help “force Russia into a real peace.”
Ahead of talks, President Trump suggested Zelensky can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he agrees to abandon Ukraine’s bid to join NATO and accepts that Crimea is off the table in any peace negotiations.
Trump intensified pressure on Zelenskyy, stating that the Ukrainian president could end the war “almost immediately” if he chose to. The US president also firmly ruled out Ukraine’s NATO membership and the possibility of retaking Russian-occupied Crimea as part of any negotiations with Moscow.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama’s Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”
Trump’s remarks were posted just hours before he was set to meet European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at the Oval Office. The meeting aims to counter a reportedly US-backed plan that could see Ukraine cede territory to Russia.
European leaders are reportedly concerned that the meeting could become a platform for President Donald Trump to pressure Zelensky into accepting the conditions laid out by Russian President Vladimir Putin during their Alaska summit last week.
“Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social after outlining his expectations for Zelensky.
The European delegation includes French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Together, they will join Zelensky for what is shaping up to be a defining moment in the ongoing conflict.
Earlier, Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and said that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not”.
After the two leaders met in Alaska on Friday, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Putin had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow’s main targets, a source familiar with the matter said.
