Zelensky prepares for crucial White House talks with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to arrive shortly at the White House, where he will be welcomed by Donald Trump. The visit marks what is likely to be his most important round of diplomatic meetings in three years.

According to the official schedule (times are according to the US Eastern Time Zone, with a slight delay):

1:10 PM (8:10 PM – Romanian Time) – press statements in the Oval Office with Trump and Zelensky before the bilateral meeting

2:30 PM (9:30 PM – Romanian Time) – joint photo with Trump and European leaders

15:00 (22:00 – Romanian Time) – Trump, Zelensky and European leaders meet together in the East Room

Air raid sirens sound in Kiev as European leaders gather at the White House

Air raid sirens have sounded in Kiev as European leaders meet, along with Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House with Donald Trump to discuss peace in Ukraine.

Air raid sirens went off in Kiev on Monday evening as European leaders gathered at the White House to discuss with US President Donald Trump about achieving peace in Ukraine.

Air raid sirens have been sounded in the Ukrainian capital, Sky News reported. The city has not been targeted by Russian attacks in recent days because Russian President Vladimir Putin was meeting with US leader Donald Trump.

Zelensky calls for joint pressure on Russia ahead of White House talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated the need for allies to exert “joint pressure” on Russia to end the war and “stop the killing,” as he prepares for talks at the White House, writes The Guardian.

In a social media post published shortly before the meeting, Zelensky stressed the importance of coordinating positions with international partners to strengthen his position against Moscow.

“Our main goal is a reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe. And it is important that the dynamics of all our meetings lead to exactly this result. We understand that we should not expect Putin to voluntarily give up aggression and new attempts at conquest. Therefore, the pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure – from the United States and Europe, and from all those in the world who respect the right to life and the international order.

We must stop the killing, and I thank our partners who are working towards this goal and, ultimately, towards a credible and dignified peace. Together with the leaders of France, Finland, the United Kingdom, Italy, the European Commission and the NATO Secretary General, we coordinated our positions ahead of our meeting with President Trump. Ukraine is ready for a genuine ceasefire and the establishment of a new security architecture. We need peace.”

European leaders are welcomed to the White House

The first European leaders to arrive at the White House are Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, joined the two at the White House.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also arrived.

The next leader to reach the White House is the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also joined the European leaders present in Washington.

The latest to arrive at the White House is French President Emmanuel Macron.

European leaders to attend White House talks after meeting with Zelensky

European leaders are expected to arrive at the White House soon, writes The Guardian.

According to the official schedule, President Trump will first meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, in about an hour. European leaders are expected to join the talks later.

At 8:00 PM (Romanian time), Trump welcomes Volodymyr Zelensky, and at 8:15 PM they will have their public meeting in the Oval Office.

The public program presented to the American press indicates that at 9:15 PM, Trump will welcome the European leaders in the State Dining Room, and at 9:30 PM a family photo with all the leaders is scheduled.

The meeting between Trump and European leaders, alongside Zelenski, begins at 10:00 PM in the East Room.

Volodymyr Zelensky meets with US special envoy before meeting with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump's special envoy, Keith Kellogg, ahead of his scheduled meeting with the US president in Washington on Monday, August 18.

A new message from Trump: I've resolved 6 wars in 6 months, I'm here to stop the one in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump sent a new message ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders. I have solved 6 wars in 6 months, I am here to stop the one in Ukraine, Trump explained.

The message was also sent on Monday on the social network Truth Social. Donald Trump criticized those who question his ability to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

"I have resolved 6 wars in 6 months, one of them a possible nuclear disaster, and yet I have to read and listen to the Wall Street Journal and many others who have no idea, telling me everything I am wrong about the Russia/Ukraine disaster, which is Sleepy Joe Biden's war, not mine. I am only here to stop it, not to continue it. It would NEVER have happened if I had been President. I know exactly what I am doing and I do not need the advice of people who have worked on all these conflicts for years and have never been able to do anything to stop them. They are"STUPID" people, with no common sense, intelligence or understanding, and are only making the current R/U disaster harder to FIX. Despite all my superficial and very jealous critics, I will make it - I always do!!!", Donald Trump tweeted.

Trump's message before meeting with Zelensky and European leaders: An important day at the White House, let's see what the results will be

Donald Trump has announced an important day at the White House, where he is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, including EU and NATO officials.

US President Donald Trump sent a message ahead of important meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders."Big day at the White House, let's see what the results are," Trump wrote on the Truth Social network.

European diplomats prepare for possible meeting between Trump, Zelensky and Putin

The United States has asked European partners to be ready for a trilateral meeting between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, which could take place this week in Europe, unless there are last-minute changes.

European diplomats have been warned to prepare for a historic meeting between former US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to sources cited by Sky News.

The meeting could take place in Europe later this week, depending on the outcome of today's talks.

Keir Starmer, ahead of the Trump-Zelensky meeting: Everyone wants it to end

Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, will join several European leaders for talks at the White House between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, which will take place on Monday. On his way to Washington, the Prime Minister delivered a message, writes the BBC.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to arrive in Washington DC at 10:10 AM EST (5:10 PM Romanian time), according to Downing Street.

In a video posted on X from the plane, Starmer states that"everyone wants this to end, not least the Ukrainians."

Zelensky: Putin is compromising diplomatic efforts following attack on Zaporizhia region

Three people were killed and 23 others injured in a Russian missile attack on the Zaporozhye region on Monday morning, the regional governor, Ivan Fedorov, announced, according to The Kyiv Independent.

The attack hit an industrial facility, destroying buildings and affecting nearby residential areas, according to the Regional Prosecutor's Office.

"Putin will demonstratively kill to continue putting pressure on Ukraine and Europe and to compromise diplomatic efforts," Zelensky added.

Russia wants Ukraine's capitulation, not peace, Macron says, ahead of talks with Trump

Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday after a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing that Russia is proposing, through its peace plans, the capitulation of Ukraine, according to The Kyiv Independent.

“I don’t think Putin wants peace,” Macron told reporters after co-chairing the meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “I think he wants Ukraine to surrender.”

Macron is set to meet with US President Donald Trump on Monday, along with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders, after talks between Trump and Putin in Alaska failed to produce any progress.

Trump, pressure on Zelensky: He can end the war"almost immediately"

US President Donald Trump sent a message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of Monday's meeting: "He can end the war almost immediately."

High-stakes meeting: Zelensky arrives in Washington for talks with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington, D.C., on Monday, where he will meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump for talks on ending the war. Zelensky will be accompanied by several European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In a diplomatic context of maximum tension, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House on Monday for a crucial meeting with Donald Trump, writes The Guardian. The stakes of the talks are to identify a solution to end the war, but the visions of the two sides seem fundamentally opposed, creating a major divergence between the United States and its European allies.