Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House and met US President Donald Trump. A short while ago, European leaders too arrived here.
This comes after the US President meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week. in the Oval Office before holding a joint session with leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato at 3 pm EDT (12:30 am IST, Tuesday).
After landing in Washington on Sunday night, Zelenskyy thanked Trump for the invitation while firmly restating Ukraine’s position. “We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably. Russia must end this war — the war it started. And I hope that our shared strength with America and with our European friends will compel Russia to real peace,” he said on Telegram.
This meeting comes on the heels of the Alaska summit, where Trump held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While neither leader disclosed details, reports claimed Putin presented a set of demands tied to a potential peace deal. Kyiv has rejected the reported proposals, which allegedly included Ukraine ceding control of the remaining parts of Donetsk.
Ukrainian forces currently hold about a quarter of Donetsk, relying on its towns and high ground as a defensive buffer, according to Reuters. Zelenskyy is instead calling for an immediate ceasefire followed by structured negotiations. Trump, who initially supported a ceasefire, has since shifted his stance after meeting Putin, leaning closer to Moscow’s preference for talks while fighting continues.