KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday, August 16, 2025, that he will travel to Washington, D.C., for a critical meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday to address ending Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine. The invitation, extended by Trump after a lengthy phone call between the two leaders, follows Trump’s high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, which failed to produce a ceasefire agreement, as reported by NBC News.
Zelenskyy, posting on Telegram, described the Friday call as “long and substantive,” noting it lasted over an hour and a half, with about an hour of one-on-one discussion with Trump before European leaders joined. “On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation,” he wrote. Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s support for Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia, stressing that “key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders.” He also underscored the importance of including European allies at every stage to ensure robust security guarantees.’
The Washington meeting comes on the heels of Trump’s Alaska summit, where he and Putin met for nearly three hours but emerged without a deal. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump remarked after the talks, hinting at progress but offering no specifics. In a Fox News interview, he suggested a future meeting between Zelenskyy, Putin, and himself, stating, “Now it’s really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done.” European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, joined the post-summit call, reflecting broader international concern over the conflict’s trajectory.
Zelenskyy’s visit, confirmed by White House aide Dan Scavino, marks a pivotal moment as Ukraine seeks to leverage U.S. influence to halt Russia’s aggression. With no ceasefire secured in Alaska, Monday’s talks could shape the path toward peace, though analysts remain cautious about the prospects of a breakthrough given the entrenched positions of all parties involved.
Source: NBC News
