WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has announced his upcoming visit to Washington on Monday for a critical meeting with former President Donald Trump. This meeting follows a significant summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where both leaders engaged in extensive discussions with Zelenskiy and other NATO and European leaders.
The much-anticipated Trump-Putin summit, however, did not yield any agreements aimed at resolving or pausing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Despite this, both leaders characterized their discussions as productive. Trump conducted a series of calls with Zelenskiy and U.S. allies while returning to Washington, where he arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning, as confirmed by the White House.
Zelenskiy described his over 90-minute conversation with Trump as extensive and substantive. During this call, he expressed Ukraine's support for Trump's proposal to host a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. Zelenskiy also highlighted the encouraging signals from the U.S. regarding its potential role in guaranteeing Ukraine's security. He emphasized that vital issues can be effectively addressed at the leadership level, making a trilateral format suitable for discussions.
In a statement on social media platform X, Zelenskiy said, "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." Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported, citing a source, that during the phone call, Trump informed Zelenskiy and European leaders that Putin was not inclined towards a ceasefire, but rather sought a comprehensive agreement to conclude the war. Trump reportedly stated, "I think a fast peace deal is better than a ceasefire," according to Ravid’s source, although Reuters could not immediately verify this information.
The phone call included prominent figures such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, and leaders from Germany, Finland, Poland, Italy, and Britain. Trump provided these allies with a briefing on the outcomes of his summit with Putin during the call.
This meeting and the discussions surrounding it are crucial as they could influence the future of Ukraine's security and diplomatic relations with both the U.S. and Russia. The ongoing conflict highlights the importance of international collaboration and dialogue in seeking a resolution.
Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Steve Holland, and Julia Payne; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Raju Gopalakrishnan. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Kanishka Singh serves as a breaking news reporter for Reuters in Washington, D.C.. His reporting primarily focuses on U.S. politics and national affairs, with past coverage spanning significant events such as the Black Lives Matter movement, U.S. elections, the Capitol riots in 2021, the Brexit deal, U.S.-China trade tensions, the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 2019 Supreme Court ruling on a religious dispute site in India.
