- President Trump said he called Vladimir Putin and began arranging a meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Monday’s White House consultations with European leaders.
- The potential Putin–Zelenskyy meeting would occur at a time and place to be determined, with a follow-on “trilateral” session that includes Trump.
- Trump said European partners discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, with U.S. coordination, and named senior U.S. officials coordinating with Kyiv and Moscow.
The Big Picture
On Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a series of meetings at the White House with top European leaders, and that he began arranging a bilateral meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump described the talks and next steps in a Truth Social post. According to Trump, the discussions focused on security guarantees for Ukraine that European nations would provide in coordination with the United States.
What’s New
Trump said the Putin–Zelenskyy meeting would be scheduled at a time and location to be determined. He added that, after an initial bilateral, he envisions a subsequent “trilat” involving both presidents and himself. He also said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine.
In a separate message, Trump said he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the global problem of missing children, calling it a priority issue that, he said, the world should address together.
What They’re Saying
Context
Trump hosted a high-level group at the White House that, he said, included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders such as France’s Emmanuel Macron, Finland’s Alexander Stubb, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, the United Kingdom’s Keir Starmer, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. According to Trump, the leaders discussed potential security guarantees for Ukraine. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, and efforts to build a framework for peace have centered on battlefield dynamics, security commitments, and the sequencing of negotiations.
What’s Next
Trump said details for a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting are forthcoming, with the venue and timing yet to be determined. If the bilateral occurs, Trump said he plans a follow-on trilateral session. Observers will watch for formal scheduling signals from Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow, as well as any specificity on the scope and enforcement of proposed security guarantees.
The Bottom Line
Trump cast Monday’s consultations as an “early step” toward ending the war, pointing to possible security guarantees and an eventual trilateral format. Whether and when leaders agree to meet—and what substantive ground they can cover—will determine if the diplomatic opening gains traction.
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