President Donald Trump announced early Saturday morning that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will return to the White House on Monday for continued negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia. The move comes less than 24 hours after Trump’s high-profile summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, where the two leaders made what Trump described as “a lot of progress” but stopped short of finalizing a deal.
Trump outlined his next steps on Truth Social, saying he had spoken with Zelensky and European leaders late Friday night after his meeting with Putin. “President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” Trump wrote. The president also emphasized that the goal was not just to secure a temporary halt in fighting, but to craft a durable peace accord. “The best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved.”
This will mark Zelensky’s first return to the Oval Office since a tense February encounter with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, which ended abruptly and underscored deep differences over how to pursue peace. Now, Zelensky has signaled a more receptive tone, publicly endorsing Trump’s push for direct trilateral talks involving the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. “President Trump informed about his meeting with the Russian leader and the main points of their discussion. It is important that America’s strength has an impact on the development of the situation,” Zelensky said. “We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.”
The planned Washington meeting highlights Trump’s strategy of leveraging U.S. influence as both a mediator and a power player. Unlike his predecessors, Trump is framing the United States not as an observer but as a central actor that can compel both sides to the table. His insistence on a true peace deal — rather than a fragile ceasefire — represents a sharp break from past Western efforts that often prioritized temporary pauses in fighting over long-term stability.
While Putin expressed optimism about the Alaska talks, Trump has kept pressure high by noting that no deal is done until Ukraine itself signs off. By securing Zelensky’s presence in Washington, Trump is attempting to keep momentum alive while also underscoring that Kyiv, not Moscow, must ultimately consent to any land or territorial concessions.
The stakes for Monday’s Oval Office meeting could not be higher. If Trump succeeds in bridging the gap between Zelensky and Putin, he will have achieved what two previous administrations failed to do: ending Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II through direct, high-level diplomacy.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) August 16, 2025
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