On August 17th, local time, according to the report of Capitol Hill Newspaper, U.S. President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky first in the afternoon on the 18th of Eastern Time, with the presence of U.S. Vice President Pence, and then hold a broader meeting with visiting European leaders to discuss the prospects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
European participants include the President of the European Commission Von Der Leyen, German Chancellor Merz, French President Macron, British Prime Minister Sunak, Italian Prime Minister Meloni and NATO Secretary General Lute.
It is reported that the meeting held in the White House in February was deadlocked due to Trump and Pence’s criticism of Zelensky, triggering concerns in Europe about the possibility of the United States leaning towards Russia. These concerns intensified again after Trump met with Putin in Alaska on the 15th of this month.
U.S. President Trump and Russian President Putin held a meeting in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15th local time. The meeting lasted for about three hours, and both sides said it was “constructive” and “fruitful”, but no agreement was reached on issues such as the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said on the 16th that he had a “long and substantial” phone call with U.S. President Trump. He will be invited to meet with Trump in Washington D.C. on the 18th to discuss “all details” of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.（By Cao Jian）