European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have confirmed they will attend Monday's meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in Washington. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also be present, Sky News reported.

Most important events

• Putin demands Donbass - Donetsk and Luhansk regions - in exchange for which he is willing to stop his troops in the southern Kherson region and southeastern Zaporizhia region, Axios reported.
• The Kremlin chief is also willing to negotiate security guarantees for Ukraine, but has suggested China as one of the possible guarantors.
• Zelensky is heading to Washington on Monday. He will be accompanied to the White House by von der Leyen, Macron, Stubb, Merz, Rutte, Meloni and Starmer.
• According to Witkoff, Putin agreed to provide Ukraine with security guarantees that would be similar in nature to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which contains the principle of collective defense.
• According to Zelensky, peace negotiations must be based on the current front line. According to him, Ukraine will not trade with its territory, and only it and Russia can negotiate territorial issues.

Read moreZelensky heads to Washington: Ukraine needs lasting peace, not another pause between invasions. Trump talks about NATO's Article 5 (online) Read moreDay 1,270: British: If there is a ceasefire, we will enter Ukrainian soil within a week. Our planes will guard the sky

19:50 French President Emmanuel Macron is deeply convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. He said this today after talks with the so-called coalition of the willing. If Europe shows weakness towards Russia now, it will pay a high price later, Macron warned, according to news agencies, after today's talks between European representatives and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Macron said the goal of today's coalition talks with Zelensky was to show unity between Ukraine and its European allies ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.

18:30 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday rejected the idea that Russia would give Ukraine security guarantees, AFP reported. Meanwhile, US envoy Steve Witkoff said that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed at a meeting in Alaska that Russia and the US would provide Ukraine with"strong security guarantees".

Zelensky made the remarks at a press conference in Brussels, where he was received by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The two then participated in a video conference of the so-called coalition of the willing, which preceded Zelensky's meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday, attended by some European leaders.

Von der Leyen said she welcomed Trump's proposal to offer Ukraine security guarantees analogous to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. She added that the so-called coalition of the willing was ready to contribute to this.

Zelensky also welcomed the idea of security guarantees from the US, but was less optimistic about Russia's intentions, AFP wrote.

"What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin's ideas, because Putin will not provide any security guarantees," the Ukrainian president said in Brussels. He added that security means having a strong army, which he said only Ukraine can provide and only Europe can finance.

Von der Leyen said Ukraine should have security guarantees without any restrictions on its armed forces."Ukraine must become a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders," the EC chief said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Saturday that the first step should be to define"a collective security clause that would allow Ukraine to enlist the support of all its partners - including the United States - ready to intervene if it is attacked again."

18:15 Kremlin President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan on Sunday about the results of his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, Reuters reported.

According to his office, Putin briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in detail about the summit with Trump, which took place on Friday at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska.

According to the office of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, these Russian-American negotiations contributed to"a better understanding of the Russian position on Ukraine from the American side."

Putin said Saturday during a meeting with Russian officials at the Kremlin that his meeting with Trump was timely and very useful. He said they discussed ways to end the war in Ukraine on a"fair basis."

"We haven't had direct negotiations at this level for a long time. We had the opportunity to calmly and in detail reiterate our position," the Kremlin chief explained, adding that the conversation with Trump, in his opinion, brought them"closer to the necessary decisions."

At the same time, he reiterated that the basis for settling the conflict in Ukraine should be the elimination of the root causes. Among these, Russia lists NATO expansion and Ukraine's ambition to join the Alliance. In addition, it demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the areas of Ukraine claimed by Moscow.

"Of course, we also respect the position of the American administration, which sees the need for an early end to combat operations, and we would also like to see this and would like to move towards resolving all issues by peaceful means," Putin added.

17:20 Peace negotiations in Ukraine must be based on the current front line, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after today's talks with European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen. According to him, Ukraine will not trade with its territory, and only it and Russia can negotiate territorial issues. Von der Leyen said that Europe is ready to contribute its part to security guarantees for Ukraine. Any peace agreement must not contain any restrictions on the Ukrainian army, she added.

"We need real negotiations. They can start where the front line is now. The contact line is the best place for negotiations, and the Europeans support it," Zelensky said today, noting that the constitution prevents Ukraine from giving up territory or trading with it."Since the issue of territory is so fundamental, only Ukraine and Russia, or a trinity of Ukraine-US-Russia," he added.

Von der Leyen said that the so-called coalition of the willing and the European Union are ready to contribute their part to security guarantees for Ukraine."We know that the defense of Europe is our responsibility," she said, adding that she welcomes President Trump's willingness to participate in these guarantees, which would be similar in nature to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

According to her, Ukraine must become a"steel porcupine" that potential attackers will not allow themselves to be. Therefore, it is necessary to further strengthen Ukraine's industrial base, and especially the production of drones, she believes. One of the security guarantees is also Ukraine's membership in the European Union, which the country, attacked by Russia, is striving for.

17:00 US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on"strong security guarantees" for Ukraine during their summit in Alaska.

16:45 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a television interview that he was not saying that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine was within reach. However, things had moved enough to warrant a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials in Washington on Monday. Security guarantees will be discussed at the White House on Monday, Rubio added today, according to Reuters.

The United States will continue to try to create a scenario that would help end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but they may not succeed, Rubio admitted in an interview on CBS. Ukraine has been resisting Russian aggression since February 2022.

"If peace is not possible here and it continues like war, people will continue to die by the thousands. We don't want to end up like that, but unfortunately it can happen," Rubio said, adding that both sides would have to make concessions to reach a peace deal.

US President Donald Trump met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Zelensky not invited to the summit. The talks yielded no visible results, but Trump later dropped his earlier demand for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. He also said he wanted to push for a broader peace agreement rather than a simple ceasefire.

Rubio said on NBC today that a possible ceasefire"is not out of the question." However, he said the best way to end the war would be"a complete peace agreement," the AP reports.

14:30 European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Brussels today. Together they will participate in negotiations of the so-called coalition of the willing.

Zelensky's spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov told reporters that Zelensky would hold talks with von der Leyen upon his arrival in Brussels. A press conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The pair will then take part in a coalition of the willing meeting via video link.

2:25 p.m. The Europeans are ready to provide guarantees to Ukraine together with the United States as part of a possible peace agreement. This was stated today by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the X network. According to him, Europe stands firmly behind Ukraine, no matter what Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning. He also spoke out against negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine.

Minister Wadephul's statement comes ahead of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, which will also be attended by European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Trump met with Putin in Alaska on Friday, but Zelensky was not invited to the summit. The talks yielded no tangible results, but Trump later dropped his earlier demand for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. He also said he wanted to push for a broader peace agreement rather than a simple ceasefire.

"To conclude peace, clear security guarantees for Ukraine are needed - we Europeans are ready to provide them together with the US. No negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine," the German foreign minister wrote.

Some European leaders said after talks with Trump on Saturday that they welcomed the United States' willingness to contribute security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a future peace deal. Trump, however, did not explicitly confirm American participation in security guarantees for Ukraine. He had previously rejected such guarantees.

Kiev argues that only solid security guarantees will protect the country, which has been attacked by Russia, from another Russian invasion in the future. It says NATO membership is the best such guarantee, but some members of the alliance and Moscow reject this.

According to Reuters sources, Trump's Saturday meeting with European leaders concerned guarantees that would not be provided to Ukraine by NATO, but which would have the character of the alliance's Article 5, which contains the principle of collective defense.

Putin and Trump on the results of the summit

14:10 US President Donald Trump's favorite, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, is also heading to Washington, reports Politico, citing two diplomatic sources. The golf enthusiast and Finland's highest constitutional official has previously shown that he can listen to Trump and managed to convince the White House chief that Putin cannot be trusted.

According to Politico, Stubb's goal is to help prevent any disputes between Trump and Zelensky and convince the US president to include Europe in further negotiations. Trump's last meeting with Zelensky at the White House ended in a fiasco.

13:00 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have confirmed they will attend Monday's talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in Washington. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also be present, Sky News reported.

12:20 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed that she and other European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday. She reported this on the X network on Sunday. Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, previously reported that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb would also likely travel to Washington. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has since confirmed his participation in the meeting.

Trump will meet with Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday, where European leaders have also been invited. If their meeting on Monday goes well, the US president plans to hold a three-way summit with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin later next week.

Von der Leyen said she would welcome Zelensky to Brussels on Sunday and the two would take part in a video conference of the so-called coalition of the willing, which will be hosted by the leaders of France, Germany and Britain at 3 p.m. CEST. The aim, according to Reuters, is to strengthen Ukraine's position and help organize a summit between Trump, Putin and Zelensky to ensure Ukraine has a place at the negotiating table to decide its future.

"At the request of President Zelensky, I will participate in a meeting with President Trump and other European leaders at the White House tomorrow," the EC chief wrote on the X network.

Meanwhile, the German government announced that Chancellor Merz would also travel to Washington to express his"interest in a swift conclusion of a peace agreement in Ukraine" with other leaders. Sky News also reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would also be present. Her participation has not been officially confirmed.

The “coalition of the willing” video conference will follow Friday’s summit between Trump and Putin. Both described the meeting as productive and constructive, stressing that they agreed on several points, but did not present a specific plan to resolve the war in Ukraine. Trump then ruled out an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in a post on the Truth Social network, saying that only a direct peace agreement would end the war.

11:40 Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha spoke by phone about peace efforts and security guarantees for Kiev following US-Russian talks in Alaska.

The Polish Ministry of Diplomacy and Sybih reported on the phone call on the X platform on Saturday.

"We exchanged views on how to ensure lasting peace in Europe and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine," Sybiha wrote.

Both countries declared that unity and coordinated action form the basis of their common security, writes PAP.

A summit between Russia and the United States took place in Alaska on Friday, attended by the presidents of both countries, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also travel to Washington on Monday at Trump's invitation.

Poland also announced on Sunday that it would participate in a video conference with other European representatives from the so-called Coalition of the Willing, which will take place on Sunday afternoon. Kiev's allies will discuss the next stages of peace talks on the war in Ukraine, Sikorski said.

The consultations of leaders of some 33 countries, who have agreed to continue efforts to help Ukraine fight Russian military aggression, will take place at 3:00 p.m. CEST. They will be hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

9:10 A quick peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine"may be worth more than a ceasefire," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF.

Merz said that after Monday's planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a trilateral meeting should take place"as soon as possible" with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the aim of reaching a peace agreement.

"If it works out, it will be of greater value than a ceasefire that could last for several weeks without further progress in political and diplomatic efforts," Merz said.

He added that it was"good news" that no negotiations on territorial claims took place between Putin and Trump during Friday's meeting in Alaska without the participation of Ukraine and the rest of Europe.

A positive sign is that Trump says Russia is willing to hold talks along the current line of contact on the front, Merz noted."That's a huge difference, because Russia is claiming territory that has not yet been militarily occupied by Russia," he explained.

He added that this was apparently also discussed during Friday's summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska, where Trump said Putin agreed to hold talks on the current front lines in Ukraine.

Europe will play a role in Trump's talks with Zelensky, the German chancellor said. A White House official previously told CNN that several European leaders had been invited to the talks.

But"for now," Merz said, Trump will still play a decisive role in the conflict."The American president, who then has the power both militarily and through appropriate sanctions and tariffs to ensure that Russia does more than it is doing at present," he said.

The German Chancellor also said he was pleased with the US's readiness to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine.

"Now security guarantees are on the table... and the good news is that America is ready to participate in such security guarantees and is not leaving it up to the Europeans," Merz concluded.

Putin and Trump on the results of the summit

7:50 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the summit in Alaska on Saturday evening, where US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin met on Friday. According to Merz, the meeting was beneficial for the Russian president.

In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD on Saturday evening, Merz referred to the Alaska meeting as a"magnificent protocol" and also noted that "the Russian press is thrilled (about it)." "A little less would have been enough," he added.

At the same time, he emphasized that Trump acted"within the framework they had previously discussed together," which Merz described as progress despite some disturbing scenes from Friday night.

The German Chancellor did not rule out possible territorial concessions by Ukraine in principle, but stressed that no such concessions could occur"before a peace agreement is reached." He added that such an agreement would also have to specify exactly when security guarantees for Kiev would come into effect.

Zelensky has rejected any territorial concessions, citing his commitment to the Ukrainian constitution, but has not ruled out discussing the issue at a potential trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin.

The New York Times (NYT), citing two European officials, reported that Trump supported Putin's plan to end the war in Ukraine by ceding unconquered territory to the Russians, rather than trying to reach a ceasefire agreement. According to the sources, Trump plans to discuss the plan with Zelensky at their planned meeting in Washington on Monday, to which European leaders have also been invited, although it is not yet known whether they will attend.

6:15 Russia's continued refusal to accept a ceasefire is complicating efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement in the Kremlin's fourth-year war against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday night.

US President Donald Trump, after talks with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, dropped his demand for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine and, in line with Moscow's position, now plans to push for a comprehensive peace agreement. Trump will host Zelensky at the White House on Monday.

"We see that Russia is rejecting numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet decided when it will stop killing. This complicates the situation. If they lack the will to issue a simple order to stop the strikes, it will probably take a lot of effort for Russia to have the will to implement something much bigger - peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades," Zelensky said in a post on the X network. He also thanked the Baltic and Nordic countries associated with the NB8 group, which issued a joint statement in support of Ukraine on Saturday.

Trump's three-hour summit with Putin on Friday appeared to yield no concrete results, although Trump had previously stated that achieving a ceasefire would be the main topic of his talks with Putin, and threatened that Russia would face serious consequences if it did not agree to a ceasefire.

According to Axios, Trump wants to hold a summit between him, Putin, and Zelensky on Friday.

6:10 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with his Turkish and Hungarian counterparts on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday. The calls came hours after a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin failed to produce any concrete agreement on ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The phone call between Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was held at the initiative of the Turkish side, according to Moscow."The foreign ministers exchanged views on the results of the top-level talks between Russia and the United States, which took place on August 15 in Alaska," the ministry said in a brief statement on its website.

Turkey is trying to keep diplomatic channels open on both sides of the conflict during the war in Ukraine, which Russia unleashed on Putin's orders in February 2022. It is acting simultaneously as a NATO member, a partner of Russia and Ukraine, and also positioning itself as a potential mediator.

Lavrov also spoke by phone with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjárt, also at the initiative of Hungarian diplomacy. “The parties discussed issues related to the Ukrainian crisis in the context of the results of the meeting of the leaders of Russia and the United States in Alaska,” the Russian ministry said. The two ministers also discussed “practical issues of Russian-Hungarian cooperation, including the schedule of bilateral political dialogue,” the ministry added.

Hungary has maintained close ties with Russia throughout the war, frequently blocking EU sanctions against Russia and cooperating with Moscow on energy. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has faced criticism for his pro-Putin leanings despite Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion, said on Saturday that the world was a safer place after Trump's meeting with Putin. Ahead of the summit, Orbán said this week that Russia had won the war in Ukraine, and the question remains when the West, which supports the Ukrainians, will admit it.