Zelensky reaches Washington, European leaders have started arriving for high-stakes talks with Trump

New Delhi, Aug 18: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the US capital, Washington, DC, for what is being billed as one of the most consequential diplomatic gatherings since the Russia-Ukraine war began around three years ago. Zelensky will join several key European leaders at the White House today, where they are set to hold intensive talks with President Donald Trump on a possible roadmap to end the war.

The meeting comes against a backdrop of sharply worded remarks by Trump, who just hours before Zelensky’s arrival used his Truth Social platform to lay down red lines.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”

The US president’s comments underline the pressure Zelensky faces in Washington. Kyiv and its European allies have been pushing for firm US security guarantees as part of any settlement, particularly after a senior US envoy said on Sunday that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had tentatively signalled openness to a “Nato-like” security pact for Ukraine, BBC reported.

Trump’s own excitement about the talks was evident. Referring to today’s gathering, he posted: “Big day at the White House [on Monday]. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!”

The summit follows Trump’s high-profile meeting with Putin in Alaska last week. The White House has described today’s consultations as a critical step in testing whether Moscow and Kyiv can move closer to a ceasefire arrangement. Those expected at the table alongside Zelensky are: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In a fresh update on Truth Social, Trump again sought to put himself at the centre of the moment. “It will be a big day, and a great honour to host so many great European leaders,” he said.

He added that since his election last year, the United States has become the “hottest country anywhere in the world.” For Zelensky, the stakes could not be higher. He arrives in Washington seeking to balance Trump’s demands with the assurances Ukraine needs to guarantee its sovereignty in the long run.