Trump tees up White House showdown with European leaders on Russia-Ukraine peace with cryptic message: Live updates

By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER and KATRINA SCHOLLENBERGER and NIKKI SCHWAB, CHIEF CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENT

Updated: 09:46 EDT, 18 August 2025

All eyes are on the White House today as President Donald Trump prepares to host a slew of European leaders who want an immediate ceasefire deal to end the deadly Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be joined by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and more.

It comes months after his disastrous Oval Office shouting match with Zelensky that ended with the Ukrainian leader being ‘kicked out.’

Trump posted a flurry of seemingly angry social media rants overnight tearing into the ‘fake news’ for calling his upcoming White House meeting with world leaders a ‘big loss.’

‘Actually, it is a great honor for America!!!’ he insisted. 

The president also defended his high-stakes meeting with Russian President Putin on Friday in Alaska, which ended without a ceasefire deal and a rough framework for peace with Ukraine. 

He also sent supporters into a tailspin on Sunday after posting a one-word message ‘bela’ to his Truth Social without additional context.

Follow along with the Daily Mail’s live blog for more: 

Trump to host Zelensky and European leaders at White House today

President Trump is set to host Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House today following last week’s Alaska summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Several other European leaders will travel to Washington D.C., including 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 meeting comes amid Trump’s intensified efforts to reach a peace agreement in the ongoing three year Russia-Ukraine war.

Earlier, Trump took to Truth Social to post several messages hitting out at ‘fake news’ for calling his upcoming White House meeting with world leaders a ‘big loss.’

He also posted a cryptic message overnight directed toward Zelensky, months after their disastrous Oval Office meeting that had the Ukrainian leader fleeing the White House without a deal.

‘President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,’ said Trump.

‘Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!’

Here is the timeline for Trump’s White House meetings to discuss Russia-Ukraine peace

President Donald Trump’s entire day is filled with back-to-back meetings with Ukranian officials and leaders all across Europe.

Following his dramatic summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump is expected to relay his discussions with the Russian leader to U.S. allies.

European leaders, such as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, will arrive to the White House at 12pm ET.

Trump will then greet Zelensky at 1PM ET for a bilateral meeting set for 1:15pm ET.

At around 2:00pm ET, Trump will greet European leaders before taking a photo with the entire delegation at approximately 2:30pm ET.

The day will end with a multilaterial meeting with European leaders at 3pm ET.

Following the White House meetings, Zelensky will be interviewed by Fox News anchor Bret Baier at 6pm ET.

JD Vance will attend White House meeting with Zelensky after their dramatic fight

Vice President JD Vance will attend Monday’s meeting in the Oval Office with Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky is set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House following the Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin.

Vance famously had a dramatic blowup with Zelensky after claiming the Ukranian president was ungrateful for U.S. aide during the war.

Trump’s limo ride offer to Putin at Alaska summit viewed as a sign of ‘mutual trust’ between the two

Donald Trump made an unusual gesture by inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to ride along with him in the Beast, the presidential limo, before Friday’s peace meeting.

Footage appeared to show Putin smiling as he rode along with Trump during their only alone time at the start of the summit.

On Russian state media, Natalia Kosikhina, a Russian senator, said that the car ride showed a ‘high level of mutual trust.’

Marco Rubio says Ukraine and Russia both need to ‘give up something’ to end war

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday outlined what would lead to a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement.

‘These are things that Zelenskyy is going to have to decide on. These are things that the Ukrainian side is going to have to agree to,’ Rubio told Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures.

‘The minute you put additional sanctions on him [Putin]… peace talks are no longer possible.’

He added, ‘If one side gets everything they want, that’s not a peace deal. It’s called surrender.’

Steve Witkoff says Putin agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine

President Donald Trump’s most-trusted foreign envoy Steve Witkoff claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to ‘robust’ security gurantees ahead of a potential peace agreement.

During a Sunday interview on CNN, Witkoff said that the Russian leader signed off on a possible collective defense of Ukraine gurantee by the US and European allies.

‘We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing,” said Witkoff.

He added that the Russian delegation vowed to a ‘legislative enshrinement’ of a promise not to invade Ukraine or another European country if all parties agree to a peace plan.

Members of the Russian delegation did not mention these pledges following the Alaska peace summit.

Police secret service members keep watch outside the White House ahead of European leaders meetingWhite House asks Zelensky to wear a suit in the Oval Office

The White House asked Ukrainian officials if Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky would wear a suit to the meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, according to a report from Axios.

During Trump’s last Oval Office meeting with Zelensky, the Ukranian leader’s outfit was a major issue for the president.

Back in June, Trump met Zelensky, who was wearing a black jacket, at a NATO summit.

Zelesnky will reportidely come to the White House later today in the same jacket, according to Axios.

What did Putin say that ‘spooked’ Trump’s team in Alaska?

Vladimir Putin appeared to ‘spook’ members of Donald Trump‘s team after the two leaders met in Alaska on Friday, some observers have claimed.

The two leaders hammered out the beginnings of a Ukraine peace deal at the summit, with Putin securing concessions on a ‘land swap’ that would see vast swathes of Ukraine become Russian.

And today the U.S. President is expected to try and pressure Zelensky into accepting the deal in crunch talks at the White House that will also be attended by European leaders.

Putin says ‘security of Ukraine should be ensured’ at last week’s Alaska peace summit

At last week’s Pursuing Peace summit, Russian president Vladimir Putin said he is interested in ending the war in Ukraine at his joint press conference with Donald Trump.

‘I agree with President Trump, as he has [said] today, that naturally, the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well,’ Putin said.

‘Naturally, we are prepared to work on that I would like to hope that the agreement that we’ve reached together will help us bring closer to that goal and will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine.’

Putin said on Friday that having a good relationship with Trump makes him confident that ‘we can come to see the end of the conflict in Ukraine.’

Flashback: Zelensky ‘kicked out’ of White House after Trump showdown as peace talks collapse

In February, President Donald Trump abruptly halted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and kicked President Volodymyr Zelensky out of the White House after a blistering Oval Office shouting match between the two leaders.

It proved an extraordinary day at the White House, which saw Zelensky walk out of the West Wing and slip into his SUV following an explosive encounter with the president.

He was driven away under a flood of camera lights and left dozens of unanswered questions.

The unprecedented scene left Ukraine’s future in doubt as the country fights for its life.

Today, Zelensky will be back at the White House for the first time since the disastrous showdown earlier this year.

Trump says he made ‘great progress’ towards a peace deal at Alaska summit, but ‘didn’t get there’

Donald Trump said he made ‘some headway’ during his 2.5-hour-long meeting with Vladimir Putin last week.

‘We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to,’ Trump said, ‘We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there.’

In an extremely uncharacteristic move, Trump allowed Putin to speak first – at what had been billed as a bilateral press conference – and then didn’t answer a single question before shaking hands with Putin again and sauntering offstage.

Their whole appearance before the press lasted just 12 minutes following more than three hours of private conversation.

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Trump tees up White House showdown with European leaders on Russia-Ukraine peace with cryptic message: Live updates