Washington DC [US], August 19: US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky held a highly publicized meeting in the Oval Office on Monday. European leaders including Zelensky also met with Trump at the White House amid ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Just days after he warmly received Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump and Zelensky answered questions from journalists before closed-door discussions on ending the war in Ukraine.
The meeting, a repeat of the infamous showdown in February that erupted into a heated shouting match on live television, was far more courteous this time. Zelensky notably wore a black suit in a departure from his usual military outfit.
Following a bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office, the pair convened with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnland's Alexander Stubb.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also attended the meeting. During the meeting with Zelensky, Trump dodged questions about details on US peacekeeping troops and security guarantees for Ukraine, but promised: "We will give them very good protection, very good security."
Source: Qatar Tribune
