Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his visit to Washington scheduled for Monday, August 18, where he will meet with U.S. leader Donald Trump.
This decision followed prolonged negotiations between Zelenskyy, Trump, and European leaders. As the Ukrainian president explained, he first spoke with Trump one-on-one before European politicians joined the dialogue. The total duration of the conversation was approximately an hour and a half.
"We support President Trump’s initiative for trilateral talks between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. Ukraine is convinced that fundamental issues must be resolved at the highest level, and this format is optimal for that. I intend to discuss all aspects of ending the killings and the war with President Trump in Washington on Monday," Zelenskyy stated.
Later, he clarified that during the conversation with Trump, he emphasized the need to increase sanctions pressure if the trilateral meeting does not take place or if Russia refuses to constructively end the conflict.
"We need a genuine and lasting peace, not just a temporary pause before new Russian attacks," the Ukrainian leader stressed.
According to AFP, citing a European Commission representative, the negotiations involved not only the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents but also European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French leader Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Following the discussion, European politicians issued a joint communiqué reaffirming their commitment to supporting Ukraine in achieving a "just and sustainable peace."
"We are ready to intensify efforts to strengthen Ukraine to stop the war and achieve a just and lasting peace," the statement reads.
European leaders also noted that Ukraine should receive "reliable security guarantees" and the right to join the EU and NATO, while its armed forces should not face any restrictions.
Additionally, they expressed support for Donald Trump’s efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine. "We are also open to cooperating with Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy in organizing a trilateral summit with European assistance," the politicians added.