Trump arranges White House meeting with Zelensky, European presidents

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has invited European leaders to join Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for a meeting at the White House on Monday, the New York Times reported, citing European officials.

The news comes after Trump’s high-profile summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday – the first in-person talks between US and Russian leaders since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Trump described the discussions as “warm,” while Putin called them “frank” and “substantive,” with both expressing cautious optimism about progress toward peace.

According to the NYT, Trump intends to propose a plan under which Ukraine would surrender control of the remaining parts of Donbass currently held by Kiev. In exchange, Russia would halt hostilities along the existing front line. Zelensky, however, has consistently rejected any territorial concessions.

Zelensky confirmed in a post on X that he will travel to Washington on Monday, a visit Trump later endorsed.

Following the Alaska summit, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Poland, and the EU issued a joint statement signaling their readiness to support a trilateral summit involving Trump, Zelensky, and European partners.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov noted that discussions on a possible three-way meeting with Putin, Trump, and Zelensky have not yet taken place. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested in a Fox Business interview that European allies should either provide more concrete support or stop pressuring Washington as it negotiates with Moscow.

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