- At the White House on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders for talks on ending the war.
- Multiple leaders credited Trump with restarting dialogue and opening a path toward potential trilateral talks with Russia.
- Any Putin–Zelenskyy meeting remains to be scheduled; security guarantees, cease-fire terms, and enforcement mechanics are under discussion.
The Big Picture
President Donald Trump convened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European allies at the White House on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, drawing a rare chorus of public thanks from visiting leaders who said his moves had restarted serious talks. At the opening of the multilateral session, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte delivered remarks published by NATO (posted Aug. 18 and updated later that evening), crediting Trump with “breaking the deadlock” and urging momentum toward a durable end to the war.
What’s New
Zelenskyy said his meeting with Trump was “very good” and covered “very sensitive points,” signaling Kyiv’s focus on concrete security assurances. Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said the last two weeks delivered more progress than the past three-and-a-half years; Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called it “a new phase” after years without signs of Russian willingness to talk; the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the day would be seen as an inflection point; Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said “the path is open”; France’s President Emmanuel Macron argued a trilateral format is “the only way to fix it”; and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized a collective push for a “lasting peace.”
What They’re Saying
Context
The White House talks brought together Zelenskyy and leaders from major European capitals alongside the European Commission and NATO. According to participants, the immediate aim is translating fresh diplomatic openings into a workable framework addressing cease-fire conditions, sequencing, and security guarantees. Leaders said Trump’s engagement has reopened channels for a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, while Ukraine and partners continue to stress sovereignty and long-term security as non-negotiables.
What’s Next
Trump said arrangements for a potential Putin–Zelenskyy session are underway, with time and location to be determined. Working teams are expected to refine terms around guarantees, monitoring, and enforcement—issues allies say must be nailed down before any durable settlement can take hold.
The Bottom Line
Momentum is real, leaders say, but success depends on the fine print: verification, timelines, and enforcement that can survive political shocks and battlefield realities.
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