Premium

Zelenskyy arrives in Washington ahead of meeting with Trump, says ‘Russia must end this war’

In a social media post, Zelenskyy said that he is "confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump."

The Ukrainian President emphasised that "peace must be lasting." (AP Photo)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his arrival in Washington on Monday, ahead of his planned meeting with US President Donald Trump. “I have already arrived in Washington… I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation.” Zelenskyy wrote on X. He added, “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting.”

In his post, Zelenskyy also said: “I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance.”

The Ukrainian President stressed that “Russia must end this war, which it itself started.” Earlier, he had accused Russia of stalling efforts to end the war by rejecting repeated calls for a ceasefire. “We see that Russia rejects numerous demands for a ceasefire and still has not specified when it will stop the killings,” he wrote on X in a separate post.

I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump. Tomorrow we are also speaking with European leaders. I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation. We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting. Not…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2025

The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy is expected around 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm ET (10:30 pm – 10:45 pm IST) on Monday at the White House. They will move into a private Oval Office meeting with Vice President JD Vance. This is the first time the three will meet since their tense encounter in February.

Story continues below this ad

The visit comes just days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which ended without a ceasefire agreement. Trump’s envoy later said Moscow had, for the first time, signalled openness to discussing NATO-style security protections for Ukraine.

The talks between Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to be closely watched for signs of progress on security guarantees, military assistance, and potential steps toward ending the war.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram