Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump met at the White House in Washington. The talks began in a bilateral format, but European leaders later joined after arriving in the United States to demonstrate support for Ukraine.
The meeting took place three days after Trump’s talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. According to US media reports citing sources, the Russian president had then put forward “maximalist” demands while discussing the future of five Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk region.
The Zelensky-Trump talks began at 20:15 Moscow time. The US side included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg. The Ukrainian delegation included Andriy Yermak, Rustem Umerov, Oksana Markarova, Serhii Kyslytsia, and Pavlo Palisa.
Before that, Zelensky held a separate preparatory meeting with Kellogg. Afterward, he wrote that Russia could be forced into peace only through strength and that President Trump possessed such strength. According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House had asked Zelensky to attend the meeting in a suit and tie; he ultimately chose a dark jacket over a black shirt.
During the open part of the Oval Office meeting, Trump said that if no deal on Ukraine was reached today, Washington would stop supporting Kyiv. At the same time, he said Ukraine would receive “certain security guarantees,” while making clear this would not mean NATO membership. He also said he was no longer demanding a ceasefire as a precondition and instead wanted to move toward negotiations on a “lasting peace.”
“Sensitive issues such as a territorial exchange will be discussed during the trilateral meeting,” Zelensky said, calling his conversation with Trump “very good.”
At 21:45 Moscow time, the leaders finished their closed-door discussion, after which Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Giorgia Meloni, Keir Starmer, Alexander Stubb, Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen joined them for a group photo. The European Commission president stressed the need for security guarantees comparable to Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Macron and Merz said a ceasefire was necessary before the next meeting. At 22:15 Moscow time, the talks continued behind closed doors in an expanded format.