One of the most heated diplomatic meetings of the summer took place at the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, together with a group of European leaders, tried to persuade US President Donald Trump to provide specific security guarantees for Ukraine. There was also talk of a bilateral and trilateral meeting with the Russian president. In what format, where and when could it take place? The main materials from Reuters, FT, The Guardian, Sky News, WSJ
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with a delegation of European leaders, traveled to the White House on Monday, August 18, to meet with US President Donald Trump. The Guardian described it as an attempt to minimize the damage after Trump succumbed to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s influence in Anchorage, Alaska, and began echoing his rhetoric.
In Alaska, Trump added that he wants to organize direct talks between the two presidents, and even a trilateral meeting with his participation. Zelensky supported this idea, as he sees it as an opportunity to obtain key security guarantees for Ukraine. European allies also insist that without such guarantees, any peace agreement will be weak.
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Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed in the Telegram channel of the Russian Foreign Ministry that it was a meeting of high-level representatives, writes WSJ. But he did not mention either a possible meeting between Putin himself and Zelensky, or a trilateral format. Russia agreed to “support direct negotiations” and “discuss the idea of increasing the level of representation of Russia and Ukraine,” reports FT.
Security guarantees and exchange of territories
Trump failed to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire in person. As a result, he publicly rejected it as a prerequisite for talks. “I would like [Russia and Ukraine] to stop,” Trump says. “But strategically it might be disadvantageous for one of the parties.” He believes that agreements are possible even during war. European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, have insisted that without a ceasefire, the meeting would be pointless, as it would only strengthen Putin’s position.
Russia, Trump said, has agreed to consider security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any long-term peace deal, The Guardian adds. These security guarantees should act as a deterrent to Russia, European leaders say. “The first is the presence of a combat-ready Ukrainian army in the coming years and decades,” Macron added.
French President Emmanuel Macron supports the combat capability of the Ukrainian army as one of the conditions for a security guarantee to end the Russian-Ukrainian war Photo Getty Images
Zelensky also agreed that Ukraine needs a strong army to guarantee its security, which can be achieved through the sale of Western weapons and training.
The Ukrainian delegation also arrived at the White House with a proposal – a document seen by the FT – to buy $100 billion in American weapons to sway Trump to their side.
The next stage depends on what guarantees the EU, NATO and the US are ready to provide, comments The Guardian. Trump did not rule out the option of sending US troops to Ukraine, but this issue, according to him, will still be discussed with European partners.
At the same time, Putin is making territorial demands – control over part of Donbas, as well as indirect hints at a territorial exchange. Zelensky did not immediately reject the idea of a territorial exchange, but explained that this would be difficult due to the need to resettle people and the constitutional ban on the alienation of Ukrainian lands. But he may consider “proportional exchanges.”
Trump has given no indication of any agreement on Putin’s territorial demands. The issue of territories was not discussed in detail, an anonymous European official who was part of the delegation in Washington told the FT. The Europeans were pleased that Trump said: “It’s none of my business, it’s Ukraine’s business.”
For Kyiv, the key conditions are a strong army, Western arms sales, and long-term international guarantees. Peace is possible only when the EU, NATO, and the US provide effective mechanisms to deter Russia, Zelensky says.
Face-to-face meeting
During the summit, the White House repeatedly raised the issue of a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, with or without US mediation. Even after the phone conversation between the US and Russian presidents on Monday, August 18, Putin’s advisor Yuri Ushakov did not confirm a possible meeting in any format, although he expressed support for direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the highest level.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky could take place within two weeks, followed by a trilateral summit with Trump. “We don’t know whether the Russian president will have the courage to come to such a summit. So we have to work to convince him,” Merz said during a meeting at the White House.
Trump had hoped to announce a trilateral summit with Zelensky and Putin, the FT writes, but limited himself to offering to organize their meeting at a location yet to be determined. “After this meeting, we will have a trilateral summit, where there will be two presidents and me,” he said. According to Trump, the organization of the meeting between Zelensky and Putin will be taken on by US Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The first and only meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin took place during the summit in Paris in 2019. Photo Getty Images
A senior US administration official told Reuters that the meeting could take place in Hungary, but other options have been discussed previously.
During a video call of the “coalition of the willing” last weekend, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloni suggested Rome as the venue, and Emmanuel Macron suggested Geneva, Sky News writes, adding that Zelensky and Trump prefer Rome, particularly the Vatican, while Putin leans towards Geneva.
The Italian and Swiss foreign ministries have said they are ready to accept talks, and EU diplomats are also considering other options, including Budapest and Helsinki, Sky News concludes.