Zelenskyy arrives at White House for talks with Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived at the White House for talks with US President Donald Trump and European leaders on a peaceful settlement of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Source: footage of his arrival broadcast by Western media, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Zelenskyy's visit comes six months after his previous one in February, which ended in a spat and saw the Ukrainian delegation leave the White House early.
At the time, the Ukrainian president was criticised by the US administration for not wearing a suit. This time, he did not appear in a traditional suit or tie either, opting for a black shirt and black jacket instead. He was met at the White House by President Trump.
The White House talks will begin with a bilateral meeting between the Ukrainian and US delegations, followed by expanded talks with the leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Finland, the European Commission president and the NATO secretary general.
The European leaders hope that their presence at the White House will serve as a strong show of solidarity with Ukraine. The talks are expected to focus on what security guarantees could be provided to Ukraine once the fighting comes to an end.
Monday's talks at the White House come shortly after the US-Russia summit in Alaska on 15 August, after which Washington said it believes there is now a real chance of reaching a peace agreement with Russia and ending the war in Ukraine.
Background:
- Ahead of his arrival at the White House, Zelenskyy and the European leaders held consultations at the Ukrainian Embassy. Following these talks, Zelenskyy stated that it is unrealistic to expect Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to voluntarily give up aggression, so the US and Europe must jointly pressure him.
- Earlier on 18 August, Zelenskyy met with Keith Kellogg, Trump's Special Envoy for Ukraine, in Washington.
- After meeting with Kellogg, Zelenskyy said that Trump has the strength to force Russia to peace
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