European leaders have arrived at the White House, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to return for a meeting six months after his televised showdown in the Oval Office with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Trump called Monday’s meeting after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday where the Russian leader rejected a cease-fire and called on Ukraine to cede land in the country’s east in exchange for a freeze in the front line elsewhere.
As well as dispelling the specter of his February visit to the White House, Zelensky now faces another major challenge: trying to retain Trump’s support for his country’s defense against Russia without agreeing to Moscow’s territorial proposals for ending the war.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Trump and Zelensky’s previous Oval Office meeting imploded over the Ukrainian leader’s demand for robust security guarantees under any peace deal, contributing to him being asked to leave.
What’s changed: The Trump administration has recently expressed support for security guarantees. But Russia has presented sweeping territorial demands, including claims to territory that it hasn’t been able to conquer militarily. Since meeting Putin in Alaska, Trump has also stepped back from his threat that Russia agree to an immediate cease-fire or face tougher economic sanctions. That hews the U.S. president more closely to Moscow’s vision that the fighting continue until full peace is negotiated.
Who’s involved: Zelensky will be accompanied to Washington this time by allies including the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO. But none of them are expected to be in the room during Trump and Zelensky’s Oval Office meeting.
When is it happening: European leaders arrived the White House around noon. Zelensky is expected at 1 p.m.
Ukrainain President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets some of the European leaders Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte, at the Ukrainian Embassy, ahead of their meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025.
What’s at stake: In a sign of the pressure the Ukrainian leader could face, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform ahead of the meeting that Zelensky “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.” Ukraine has consistently said it is ready for a cease-fire but can’t give up territory.
The upshot: The concern for Ukraine is that if Zelensky doesn’t agree to a deal, the U.S. could withhold its crucial political and military support, which includes weapons and intelligence. When the pair last met in the Oval Office, that for a short time was exactly the outcome.
