Trump

European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet Donald Trump in Washington as the United States president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years.

Trump is leaning on Zelensky to strike an agreement after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and emerged more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal instead of a ceasefire first.

Trump and Zelensky will meet on Monday, August 18, 2025. It is expected that they will have a bilateral meeting prior to the European leaders joining a larger conversation, according to a person briefed on the conversation.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on scheduling details.

Melania Trump writes peace letter to Putin over Russia-Ukraine war

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“If peace is not going to be possible here and this is just going to continue on as a war, people will continue to die by the thousands… we may unfortunately wind up there, but we don’t want to wind up there,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with CBS.

Trump discussed Ukraine in several social media posts on Sunday.

In one, he promised “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA” in a social media post without specifying what this might be.

In another, he said Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately, if he wants to” and seemed to indicate that reclaiming Crimea and joining NATO are off the table for Ukraine.

In a post on his Truth Social, Trump said: “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!!!”

Sources briefed on Moscow’s thinking told Reuters the U.S. and Russian leaders have discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere.

The Star

Segun Ojo
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