Topline
President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting Monday at the White House he doesn’t think Russia and Ukraine need a ceasefire agreement repeating a stance he adopted after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 18: U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump is hosting President Zelensky at the White House for a bilateral meeting and later an expanded meeting with European leaders to discuss a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump told Zelenskyy he would give Ukraine “very good protection and very good security” when asked about security guarantees for Ukraine during his meeting with Zelenskyy on Monday afternoon, a key demand Zelenskyy is seeking in exchange for an agreement to end the war with Russia.
Trump also said he would speak with Putin when the meeting with Zelenskyy was over.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will also meet with Trump and Zelenskyy after their sitdown.
The meeting comes after Trump’s sitdown with Putin in Alaska on Friday ended without a ceasefire agreement.
Trump and Putin offered minimal details of their discussion, though Trump said Saturday on Truth Social he is now calling for a “peace agreement” to end the war “and not a mere Ceasefire.”
Key Background
Trump softened his rhetoric toward Putin after their meeting Friday, expressing support for Putin’s preference to end the war instead of a ceasefire. Trump also walked back his promise for “severe consequences” if Putin didn’t agree to end the war, telling Fox News he did not think sanctions were necessary. Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy comes after their last Oval Office sitdown devolved into a shouting match between the Ukrainian leader and Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who accused him of being ungrateful for U.S. support and “disrespectful” to Trump.
Further Reading
Trump And Zelenskyy Set For High-Stakes White House Meeting Monday: Here’s What To Know (Forbes)
Trump Says ‘No Deal’ With Putin Following Meeting In Alaska (Forbes)
Trump Will Meet Zelensky In D.C. Monday After Alaska Meeting With Putin (Forbes)
