Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be accompanied by European and NATO leaders during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 18, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Aug. 17.
Zelenskyy’s previous meeting with Trump at the White House in February was cut short after the sit-down turned into a heated exchange, leading to the Ukrainian president’s early exit from the talks.
“This afternoon, I will welcome [Zelenskyy] in Brussels,” Von der Leyen, head of the European Union’s executive branch, posted on X on Aug. 17.
“At the request of President Zelenskyy, I will join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow.”
On Aug. 17, Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels for a joint press conference with von der Leyen.
“First, we must have strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe’s vital security interests,” she said. “[Ukraine] must be able to uphold its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.”
Other European leaders also announced that they will attend the meeting with Trump on Aug. 18, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Their presence at the White House talks underscores Europe’s goal of ensuring that it has a voice at the table during any negotiations over peace between Russia and Ukraine. Trump is working on a deal to end the war following his summit on Aug. 15 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy was not present at their meeting in Alaska, but Trump said he spoke to him by phone shortly afterward.
On Aug. 17, Macron, Merz, and Starmer hosted a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” an assembly of Kyiv allies, at 1300 GMT (9 a.m. ET).
European leaders are hoping to arrange a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy to guarantee that Ukraine is included in any discussions to end Russia’s war, particularly over conditions for peace.
The leaders have expressed a need for security guarantees for Ukraine with U.S. involvement.
On Aug. 16, Trump said Ukraine should accept a deal to end the war with Russia because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”
Zelenskyy wrote on X that “Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation.”
“If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater—peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades,” he said on Aug. 16.
The Ukrainian president said calls are scheduled between partners on Aug. 17 ahead of his meeting with Trump at the White House on Aug. 18.
“It is important that everyone agrees there needs to be a conversation at the level of leaders to clarify all the details and determine which steps are necessary and will work,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight with one ballistic missile and 60 drones, according to Ukraine’s air force, which said it downed or jammed at least 40 drones.
Although Zelenskyy exited early from his last meeting at the White House, Merz said he did not believe the same would happen this time around.
He said Zelenskyy would speak with European leaders on Aug. 17 in preparation for the next day’s White House meeting.
“We’ll give a few good pieces of advice,” Merz told German broadcaster n-tv.
While it’s critical for Europe to stand united, the United States will continue playing an important role in ending the war, Merz told German public service broadcaster ZDF.
“The American president has the power both militarily and via appropriate sanctions and tariffs to ensure that Russia moves more than it currently does,” he said.
