Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday, August 18. Hours before the meeting, Trump claimed Zelensky “can end the war if he wants”—but repeated there will be no NATO membership for Ukraine and “no getting back” Crimea.
The U.S. president insists he wants a permanent peace deal, not just a ceasefire. His remarks follow last week’s Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin, where the Russian leader again demanded control of the Donbas. Zelensky has ruled out giving up territory, saying the Ukrainian constitution forbids it.
NATO chief Mark Rutte and leaders including Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, Alexander Stubb, and Ursula von der Leyen are also in Washington for crisis talks. It’s unclear which of them will join Trump at the White House.
Allies are keen to avoid a repeat of February’s Oval Office clash, when Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three.” The Ukrainian leader has since been urged to keep talks businesslike and polite.
