The U.S. president welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky against the backdrop of a map of the new Ukraine.
On August 18, a meeting took place in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders. It ended late at night Moscow time, but during its open part, Donald Trump had already managed to say that whether it leads to peace would become clear in a week or two.
The meeting between White House Chief Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office began at 20:15 Moscow time. The atmosphere was quite friendly. 'I like it,' exclaimed Donald Trump, greeting Volodymyr Zelensky, pointing to his black suit - a much more formal outfit than his usual military-style clothing. 'This is the best I have,' Volodymyr Zelensky replied without hesitation. He thanked the U.S. president for his support, informing him that he brought a letter from the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, from his wife Elena.
During the 25-minute part of the meeting open to the media, both leaders briefly touched on the topic of security guarantees for Ukraine, which had previously been announced as the main issue of the negotiations. Mr. Trump reiterated that they would not discuss Ukraine's accession to NATO, but the States would provide Kyiv with 'very good protection, very good security guarantees.' Part of this would include purchases of weapons from the U.S., added Volodymyr Zelensky. After this, both leaders disappeared behind closed doors.
It should be noted that before the meeting with Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky managed to coordinate positions with European leaders who flew to Washington as a support group, which did not include French President Emmanuel Macron - he arrived late for the meeting held at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington.
How President Trump took the main step towards peace in Ukraine
After the bilateral meeting, Donald Trump reminded that Vladimir Putin agreed to accept security guarantees for Ukraine and suggested that European leaders discuss what they are ready to 'do in essence.' A map of Ukraine showing the current situation was displayed at the White House. Volodymyr Zelensky warned that territorial concessions would be discussed at a trilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Donald Trump intended to call him after the negotiations at the White House - given that the meeting with the European 'paratroopers' began after 22:00 Moscow time, the call to the Russian leader was supposed to take place late at night. Whether it leads to peace, according to Donald Trump, will become clear in one or two weeks.
