US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are set to participate in a virtual summit on Wednesday (August 13) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European allies, ABC News reported citing two US officials as confirming the details.
The meeting is expected to focus on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s invasion. This virtual gathering comes just days ahead of the highly anticipated in-person summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday (August 15) in Anchorage, Alaska.
Describing the upcoming talks as a “feel-out meeting,” Trump told reporters Monday, “I’m going in to speak to Vladimir, and I’m going to be telling him, ‘You got to end this war. You got to end it.’” He added, “At the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made.”
Zelensky categorically rejected Putin’s demand that Ukraine withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region it controls as part of any ceasefire deal. Zelensky described such concessions as unconstitutional and dangerous.
“Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive,” Zelensky said during a Kyiv press briefing. “We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part—our territories are illegally occupied.”
Among Putin’s conditions are Ukraine ceding several southern and eastern regions, limiting the size and sophistication of its military, permanent exclusion from NATO, and lifting international sanctions on Russia.
Zelensky reaffirmed Kyiv’s refusal to cede territory or abandon its NATO ambitions. “We will not cede any territory to Russia,” he stated firmly.
Trump’s previous comments suggesting Ukraine might have to cede some territory have unsettled European allies and Kyiv. Trump described the meeting as a test to see if Putin is serious about ending the war.
European leaders reiterated that peace cannot be achieved without Ukraine’s full involvement and underscored that “international borders must not be changed by force.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is organising virtual talks involving Trump, Zelensky, NATO’s secretary-general, and European leaders to bolster diplomatic efforts.