Will Zelensky Meet Trump on August 18?

New Delhi, Aug 16 (NationPress) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday reiterated that Ukraine is fully dedicated to striving for peace. He confirmed he will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on Monday (August 18) to thoroughly discuss the possibilities of concluding the war and addressing the ongoing violence.

This announcement follows a significant meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.

Although the discussions were characterized as having made progress, no definitive agreement was achieved. This meeting, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, marked the first visit of a Russian leader to the United States in almost ten years and the first in-person dialogue between American and Russian leaders since 2021.

President Zelensky took to the social media platform X to share insights from his recent conversation with President Trump.

“We engaged in a lengthy and meaningful dialogue with POTUS. We began with private discussions before involving European leaders. This call lasted over an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral discussion with President Trump. Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to work diligently towards peace. President Trump updated me on his meeting with the Russian leader and the main topics discussed. It’s crucial that America’s influence shapes the evolving situation,” Zelensky stated.

He further expressed his backing for President Trump’s suggestion of initiating trilateral talks.

“We endorse President Trump’s initiative for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine believes that vital subjects can be addressed at the leadership level, and a trilateral format is appropriate for this,” he added.

President Zelensky also confirmed his upcoming meeting with President Trump in Washington.

“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, DC, to review all specifics regarding halting the violence and the war. I am thankful for the invitation. It is essential that Europeans participate at every level to ensure robust security guarantees alongside America. We also discussed encouraging signals from the American side concerning involvement in ensuring Ukraine’s security. We continue to align our strategies with all partners. I appreciate everyone who is assisting,” he expressed.

Meanwhile, the White House verified that President Trump had a conversation with President Zelensky following his summit with President Putin in Alaska.

President Trump was also in touch with NATO leaders on Saturday. Despite the high-profile interaction with Putin, Trump achieved no breakthrough to resolve Russia’s war in Ukraine, even after offering a ceremonial welcome to the Russian leader.

Trump informed reporters that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” following Putin’s claim that both leaders had reached an “understanding” regarding Ukraine. The Russian president cautioned European nations against “sabotaging the emerging progress.”

Putin reiterated Moscow’s longstanding position, asserting that Russia is “genuinely interested in concluding” the conflict. However, he emphasized that for a resolution to be reached, “all the underlying causes of the crisis must be addressed.”

He mentioned that he concurred with Trump on the necessity of ensuring Ukraine’s security and stated that Moscow was “prepared to collaborate on this,” though he did not provide further details.

Earlier, on August 15, Zelensky had expressed optimism that the Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin could pave the way for three-way discussions.

“The essential point is that this meeting should create a genuine pathway towards a fair peace and a meaningful conversation among leaders in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side,” Zelensky had stated on X.