On the 18th local time, U.S. President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky will meet in Washington D.C., the capital of the United States. On the 17th, Zelensky traveled to Brussels to coordinate positions with the European Union, and many European leaders have expressed their intention to attend the talks in the United States.
What will Zelensky and Trump discuss during their meeting? What are the statements from various parties? Why is Europe so active? What is the current situation of the Russia-Ukraine war?
EU and European leaders to attend meeting with Zelensky in the United States
On August 17th local time in the evening, it was reported that Ukrainian President Zelensky had left for the United States and was preparing to visit the White House on August 18th to meet with U.S. President Trump. The President of the European Commission Von Der Leyen, as well as French President Macron, German Chancellor Merkel, British Prime Minister Sunak, and Italian Prime Minister Meloni, will also travel to the United States on the same day.
Before going to the United States, Ukrainian President Zelensky visited Brussels on the 17th to meet with European Commission President Von Der Leyen, and both sides held a press conference.
At the press conference, Zelensky stated that the communication with EU partner countries before meeting with Trump is very beneficial and will continue to coordinate common positions in support of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Zelensky said that:
The territorial issue can only be discussed at the leadership level
Ukraine’s accession to the EU is seen as part of its security guarantee.
He also expressed that he did not know what Trump and Putin had discussed.
Europe gives Ukraine a “calming pill”
“Ukraine can always trust Europe”
At the press conference on the 17th, Von Der Leyen said that the European Union will continue to work with Ukraine to achieve a fair peace that respects Ukraine and Europe’s important security interests.
She stressed that strong security guarantees are crucial for both Ukraine and Europe, and that the European Union welcomes U.S. President Trump’s statement that he is prepared to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, and will continue to promote Ukraine’s entry into the EU process.
She emphasized that Ukraine should determine its own destiny and that Ukraine “can always trust Europe.”
Preparing for the 19th round of sanctions against Russia
The European Union is ready to continue increasing pressure on Russia
The European Union is preparing a draft of the 19th round of sanctions against Russia and plans to announce it in early September.
In addition, European Council President Costa emphasized at the “Volunteer Alliance” meeting on the same day that if a ceasefire agreement cannot be reached, the European Union and the United States must increase pressure on Russia.
Multiple European leaders announced that they will accompany Zelensky to avoid further marginalization of European countries and Ukraine in the US-Russia peace talks.
Observation from the Main Desk | Before Meeting with Trump, Zelensky Pays a Sudden Visit to Brussels to Coordinate with the EU
Against the backdrop of Zelensky’s new round of direct negotiations with Trump, the European Union and Ukraine are eager to coordinate their positions to ensure that their interests are not excluded. Brussels is concerned that if it is absent from key dialogues, its voice on war prospects and the reshaping of the security architecture will be further weakened.
This series of statements indicates that as the war and diplomatic game enter a critical stage, Europe is striving to find a balance between maintaining unity and highlighting its strategic autonomy.
The US called on the outside world to “wait and see”.
On August 17 local time, US President Trump posted on his social media platform “Truth Social” that “significant progress has been made on the Russia issue” and called on the outside world to “wait and see”.
△Witkow (Photo)
On the same day, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Witkow indicated that the United States and some European countries may offer Ukraine security guarantees similar to those in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is a collective defense clause that stipulates that members will respond jointly to armed attacks.
During the interview, Witkow said that the United States and Russia have reached a consensus on providing security guarantees to Ukraine. He claimed that this is an alternative to bypassing Russia’s strong opposition to Ukraine joining NATO.
△US Secretary of State Rubio (Photo)
On the same day, US Secretary of State Rubio said that the United States will do everything possible to promote a Russia-Ukraine agreement, but both Ukraine and Russia must make concessions.
How Trump will talk with Zelensky
According to a report by CNN on August 17, sources familiar with the matter revealed that Trump and Zelensky will first meet with their respective delegations separately at the White House on the 18th, followed by a broader multilateral meeting. The expected core topics of discussion include Russia’s territorial demands, security arrangements for Ukraine, and the role of the United States.
Zelensky said on the 16th that he will meet with Trump to discuss “all the details” of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “All parties agree that dialogue needs to take place at the leadership level to clarify all details and determine which steps are necessary and feasible.” He also expressed Ukraine’s support for the proposal of a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
On the 16th, Trump shared his latest thoughts on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict on social media, stating that the best way is to “reach a direct peace agreement” rather than just a ceasefire agreement. According to Trump, a direct peace agreement will completely end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while ceasefire agreements often fail to be effective in the long run. Zelensky stated in the late evening of the 16th on social media that a ceasefire is a crucial element for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Putin reported on the status of the Russia-US leadership meeting in the Kremlin on the 16th, stating that Russia respects the US government’s stance on the need to quickly end the military conflict, “We also hope to resolve all issues through peaceful means.”
The Russia-Ukraine war is still ongoing as both sides continue to talk and fight.
Alexander Gussev, the governor of Russia’s Voronezh Oblast, posted on social media on the 17th that Russian air defense forces shot down five Ukrainian drones over the oblast that day, and the debris of the crashed drones damaged the power lines at a city railway station.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on the 17th that Russian air defense forces had shot down 300 Ukrainian drones within 24 hours, and intercepted Ukrainian drones attempting to attack a local nuclear power plant facility in Smolensk Oblast.
The Ukrainian Air Force stated in a declaration on the 17th that Russia launched a ballistic missile and 60 drones of various types into Ukraine during the night of the 16th, with 40 of them being shot down by Ukrainian air defense systems. The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Headquarters also announced in a statement that Russia launched 68 air strikes against areas including Sumy, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk, and there were 148 ground clashes between Ukraine and Russia within the past 24 hours.