Follow the latest news from the meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House live.
20:11
Video | Trump Assures Major Security Aid for Ukraine
The US president has assured significant security assistance for Ukraine. We're going to meet with seven major countries and talk about it. Everyone will be involved. There will be significant security assistance. It's going to be good. They're the first line of defense because they're there, they're Europe, but we're going to help them, he stated.
Trump will speak with Putin immediately after the summit.
Trump stated during his meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office that he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as the summit with the Ukrainian president and the other European leaders is over. He said the possibility of holding a trilateral meeting will be discussed, referring to a meeting between the leaders of the US, Russia, and Ukraine. This is one of Zelensky's main aspirations, and he has maintained that an agreement can only be reached through direct negotiations with Putin, mediated by the US.
Trump framed Monday's meeting as part of an ongoing process that, he said, does not mark the end of the road for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, but rather a further step toward negotiations intended to lead to security guarantees and a lasting ceasefire.
Reported by Javier Ansorena and David Alandete, correspondents in New York and Washington.
Gestures of complicity between Zelensky and Trump in their quest for peace
The Ukrainian and US presidents held a bilateral meeting before the press and on television, which was amicable. Trump reiterated his desire for a peace agreement and his confidence in ending this war. For his part, Zelensky thanked his counterpart for his efforts to end the war.
If all goes well today, we'll have a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky, Trump says.
President Trump has assured that if today's meeting goes well, he will speak with the Russian leader about holding a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky with the goal of ending the war.
We're going to have a meeting. I think if everything goes well today, we'll have a trilateral meeting, and I think there's a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do, Trump said, sitting next to Zelensky at the White House.
Trump assures significant security aid for Ukraine
President Donald Trump assured in his bilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky that there will be significant security assistance for Ukraine and Europe, in a message in which he announced that he could finalize details later today after meeting with European leaders."We're going to meet with seven major countries and we'll talk about this. Everyone will be involved. There will be a lot of help when it comes to security. It's going to be good. They're the first line of defense because they're there, they're Europe, but we're going to help them," he stated.
Zelensky expressed his gratitude for this announcement at the beginning of his speech, in which he also expressed his appreciation for Trump and his European allies. The Ukrainian president also delivered a letter from his wife to the first lady, Melania Trump, prompting a joke from the president:"I wish it was for me."
Trump insisted that this meeting is not the end of the road for US assistance to Ukraine. Asked which side holds the strongest cards in the negotiations, he declined to comment:"I don't want to say that. He simply emphasized that we will work with all parties involved."
Reporting from the White House is David Alandete, ABC's Washington correspondent.
Trump defends that there should be no ceasefire and hopes for a peace agreement.
Trump has stated that he likes the idea of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine because it would reduce deaths, but he understands that they don't want it, especially on the Russian side, because the other side can arm and prepare. That's why he defends the idea, which he claims has been the case in his other war negotiations, of reaching a peace agreement. We want a peace agreement.
Comments and jokes about Zelensky's more elegant outfit
The Ukrainian president visited the White House this Monday wearing a more formal outfit, a shirt and black military jacket. This was acknowledged by Trump and journalists themselves.
Trump welcomes Zelensky, celebrates his attire, and says of the Ukrainian people: We love you.
Trump greeted Zelensky at the White House, just as he did during his visit on February 28, which ended in a historic row. The first difference is the Ukrainian president's attire: instead of the black T-shirt—a symbol that his country is at war—which displeased the US president and which some considered disrespectful, Zelensky is wearing a dark jacket.
Trump has now celebrated the change in etiquette with conspicuous gestures and responded to a question shouted by reporters about a message to the Ukrainian people: We love you.
Trump says Putin's visit to the country is wonderful and attacks the press.
President Trump has attacked the press for claiming the summit with Putin was a failure. The president has called the Russian president's visit wonderful.
19:32
Trump says he will meet with Putin and Zelensky if all goes well.
President Trump has assured that if all goes well in Monday's meetings, there will soon be a meeting with Putin and Zelensky.
Trump insists on a just and lasting peace
The US president has assured everyone that everyone will be very happy when the arrival of peace is announced, while once again emphasizing the need to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Photo: AFP.
19:26
Trump says there will be significant security assistance for Ukraine.
President Trump has assured that there will be significant security assistance for Ukraine, both from European countries and from his own country.
19:25
Trump: We will ensure that peace lasts
President Trump has stated that they want peace, and that it should be lasting. We will work to ensure that peace arrives and lasts.
19:24
Zelensky: Russia continues bombing, today
President Zelensky has stated that until a ceasefire is reached, Russia will not cease its attacks on Ukraine. Today they attacked
19:23
The meeting begins with mutual thanks
Zelensky thanked Trump for his efforts to end the war, while the US president said it was an honor to have him in the White House.
19:22
The bilateral meeting begins, televised
The bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky has begun after the reception. You can watch the live broadcast here .
Trump welcomes Zelensky to the White House
President Donald Trump has welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House for a bilateral meeting, ahead of a summit with European leaders, aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Photo: REUTERS.
19:16
Trump-Zelensky bilateral meeting begins at the White House
Following Donald Trump's reception of his Ukrainian counterpart, the two are set to hold their bilateral meeting to discuss concessions to Russia and the end of the war.
19:14
Zelensky arrives at the White House
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at the White House, where he was welcomed by President Trump.
19:02
Everything is ready for Zelensky's arrival
Preparations are underway for Trump's reception of Zelensky. Thus, the US president will treat him the same way he treated him upon his arrival as he did before the February meeting, before the fateful outcome.
18:58
Video | European leaders and Zelensky met this morning to reach a common position.
The European leaders invited this Monday afternoon and Zelensky met with the president before the summit to coordinate a common position.
Zelensky says he and the Europeans have coordinated a common position ahead of the meeting with Trump for a real truce and a new security architecture.
Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he and the European leaders visiting Trump at the White House today are attending the meeting with the US president after coordinating our positions before the summit with the US president.
The Ukrainian president shared videos on social media of his pre-summit meeting with European leaders and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, embracing them all warmly. He did so minutes before heading to the White House for a potentially dramatic summit.
Our main goal is a reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and all of Europe, Zelensky argued, and it is important that the momentum of all the meetings lead precisely to this outcome.
Zelensky expressed confidence that joint pressure from the Europeans and the US will lead to that outcome. But Trump seems to be aiming for another pressure: the one he will impose on Zelensky to accept broad territorial concessions that will allow for a peace agreement with Russia.
Ukraine is ready for a real truce and a new security architecture, he said. We need peace. Javier Ansorena, ABC correspondent in New York, reports.
Arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the White House last, and with him are all the European guests invited to the event.
18:51
Video | The arrival of the German delegation
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was one of the last to arrive at the White House. His delegation could be seen nearby.
Zelensky's last visit to Trump ended in a shouting match in the Oval Office and no agreement was signed.
It was a total humiliation, a relentless attack on a guest who was then rudely and unceremoniously ejected from the White House.
Donald Trump exploded at the Ukrainian president, and by the time he snapped,"You've said enough!" it was too late to get the meeting and, indeed, the entire bilateral relationship back on track.
18:47
Merz arrives at the White House
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived at the White House. There, Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley greeted him on the red carpet.
Photo: AFP.
Red carpet and head of protocol to welcome European leaders
Donald Trump has laid out a red carpet for the arrival of European leaders at the White House, but he has not greeted them in person. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley welcomes them. The president remains in the Oval Office, reserved for the main meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he will receive directly. The scene contrasts with last Friday in Alaska, when Trump stepped out onto the tarmac and rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin at a bilateral summit seeking to mark a turning point in the war in Ukraine.
Trump says there will be a deal between Ukraine and Russia despite criticism from idiots:"I'll do it, I always do!"
Trump spent part of the hours leading up to the White House summit with Zelensky and his European partners launching aggressive messages on social media against his critics.
The US president complained about the criticism and doubts that have arisen since last Friday's summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin, after which he abandoned his demands for a ceasefire—agreed upon with Ukraine and the Europeans—and aligned himself with a peace agreement based on increased territorial concessions to Russia by Ukraine, including territories in the Donbass region where the kyiv government is holding out.
I know exactly what I'm doing, and I don't need the advice of people who have been working on these conflicts for years and have never been able to stop them. They are stupid people, lacking common sense, intelligence, or understanding, and they only make the current mess between Russia and Ukraine harder to fix, he wrote. Despite my jealous and weak-willed critics,"I will get it done, I always do!" he said of a possible agreement to end the war. Javier Ansorena, ABC correspondent in New York, reports.
Germany denies deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine in a hypothetical ceasefire
One of the unresolved issues in the ongoing peace process for Ukraine is how security would be guaranteed after the ceasefire. Europe breathed a sigh of relief after Trump offered these security guarantees. However, the US president has shown he can change his mind at any moment, so the question remains: would the EU deploy a military peacekeeping force in Ukraine? Germany is not willing.
Rosalía Sánchez, ABC's Berlin correspondent, reports.
Starmer is already in the White House
Another guest, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has arrived at the White House for the meeting, which will take place this Monday afternoon, along with other European leaders, Trump, and Zelensky.
Photo: AFP.
18:26
The arrival of Rutte and von der Leyen at the White House
EU President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte were the first to arrive at the White House on Monday for their meeting with Trump and Zelensky.
Photos: AFP.
18:24
Meloni clings to glimmers of dialogue to end the war
Giorgia Meloni, Italy's Prime Minister, celebrated from Washington that today finally glimmers of dialogue are emerging to end the war in Ukraine."We must explore all possible solutions to ensure peace, to guarantee justice, and to guarantee the security of our nations," she argued before arriving at the White House.
Meloni has advocated for Western unity, on both sides of the Atlantic, to achieve these goals. The Italian prime minister is a key figure in Donald Trump's relationship with Europe. She is the leader with the closest personal and ideological affinity to the US president and has sought to smooth Trump's already stormy relations with his European partners.
Javier Ansorena, New York correspondent, reports.
Photo: AFP.
18:23
Huge expectations at the White House, explains David Alandete
David Alandete, ABC's Washington correspondent, has confirmed on his X account the maximum expectation felt from the West Wing.
Zelensky's clothing continues to be a topic of conversation in Washington.
What's making headlines in Washington isn't just what Zelensky has on his agenda, but also what he's wearing. The Ukrainian president, who since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022 has abandoned his jacket and tie to dress like his soldiers, once again appeared wearing a dark, half-sleeved T-shirt in his meeting with Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine. Zelensky himself posted the video on his X account before heading to the White House this afternoon, where he will meet with Trump and European leaders.
Back in February, his attire was a source of friction. Then, in a contentious meeting in the Oval Office, a journalist told him that many Americans considered his attire disrespectful. Upon receiving him, Trump told reporters,"You're all dressed up." Zelensky's response was blunt: "I'll wear a suit when this war is over."
Reporting from the White House David Alandete, Washington correspondent.
18:19
European leaders begin to arrive at the White House
European leaders are beginning to arrive at the White House for their meeting. The first to arrive were NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
18:16
Fourteen dead in Ukraine after Russian attacks ahead of Trump-Zelensky meeting in Washington
At least 14 people were killed in Ukraine on Monday by Russian bombing, authorities reported, just hours before a meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky as part of efforts to find a solution to the conflict.
In Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city in the northeast, seven people died—including a one-and-a-half-year-old girl—and 23 were injured, regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said on Telegram. The Ukrainian president denounced a demonstrative and cynical attack by Russia, which is aware that a meeting on ending the war is being held today in Washington.
Zelensky arrives at the White House to ask Trump to force peace on Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized through his X account that when peace is discussed for one country in Europe, peace is discussed for all of Europe and has stated that Russia can only be forced to negotiate through force, something that, in his words, Trump possesses.
Read the full report from the White House by David Alandete, ABC's Washington correspondent.
Video Analysis | This is how the hours leading up to the meeting between Trump and Zelensky unfolded.
From the White House, ABC's Washington correspondent, David Alandete, explains how the hours leading up to another historic day have unfolded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to the White House first, followed by several European leaders.
17:46
Zelensky begins Ukraine peace talks in Washington
White House adviser General Keith Kellogg met with the Ukrainian leader and summarized Putin's demands.
Reporting from the White House David Alandete, ABC's Washington correspondent.
Trump warms up Zelensky's visit to the White House: If he wants, he can end the war immediately
Neither the recapture of Crimea nor short-term NATO membership are realistic options for Ukraine. But Trump's statements add tension to Monday's meeting with Zelensky, three days after the New York billionaire held a summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Read the full report from Javier Ansorena, ABC's New York correspondent, here.
This is what Zelensky and the Europeans' summit with Trump at the White House will look like.
A decisive meeting on the future of the war in Ukraine is being held at the White House this Monday, three days after the summit in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. In addition to the Ukrainian president, other European leaders will be present: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer; French President Emmanuel Macron; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Finnish President Alexander Stubb; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Javier Ansorena, ABC correspondent in New York, reports.
