Ukrainian President Zelensky to Meet Trump in Washington to Discuss End of War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his plans to meet with former President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday to address efforts to bring an end to the ongoing conflict. Zelensky and Trump held a phone call lasting over an hour and a half, following Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

The conversation began as a bilateral discussion, with European leaders joining afterward. Zelensky expressed appreciation for Trump’s efforts towards a ceasefire in Ukraine, which has been ravaged by nearly three years of invasion launched by Russia in February 2022. Zelensky emphasized Ukraine’s commitment to working tirelessly for peace and noted that Trump had shared the main points of their recent discussions with Putin.

He also called on European nations to join the U.S. in pressuring Russia to cease hostilities. Zelensky highlighted the importance of European involvement and welcomed signals of U.S. support for Ukraine’s security guarantees, stressing ongoing coordination with international partners. Trump and Putin recently met in Anchorage, marking their first in-person encounter since Trump’s presidency.

At a joint press conference after their nearly three-hour discussion, Trump described the meeting as making “great progress” toward ending the conflict but warned that no formal agreement was reached yet. He indicated agreement on many points but remained vague on specifics, emphasizing that everything depended on future negotiations.

Meanwhile, Putin described the talks as productive and expressed hope that their mutual understanding would serve as a foundation not only for resolving Ukraine’s crisis but also for improving Russia-U.S. relations. He urged Kyiv and European capitals to approach the situation constructively, avoiding actions that could hinder progress.