Zelensky reacts as Trump declares Washington DC was 'the most unsafe place anywhere'Source: Reuters

President pushes to end Ukraine-Russia war as he rules out US troops on the ground - Putin and Zelensky could meet within just two weeks as European leaders hail ‘breakthrough’ in Washington

The president says he wants Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet alone before he joins them in a potential trilateral discussion.

Ukrainian analysts watching their president’s return to the White House were braced for a “nightmare.” They took cautious encouragement from what they saw instead.

Vladimir Putin has rejected attempts by Volodymyr Zelensky to meet face-to-face for the entirety of the 41-month-old war.

Just after noon, European leaders including Macron, Starmer, von der Leyen, Rutte, and Meloni began arriving one by one at the White House. According to the White House schedule, Trump will first meet with Zelensky at 1:15 p.m. before greeting the European leaders, followed by a multilateral meeting with all parties at 3:00 p.m.

European leaders praised Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin as progress toward Ukraine peace, backing security guarantees and upcoming talks with Zelensky.

The leaders of Germany, France, Britain and other supporters of Ukraine have come together in exceptional ways to help sway the U.S. president.

President Donald Trump and others mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in March when he showed up at the White House in his customary military-style fatigues. Zelensky apparently got the message.

Donald Trump’s refusal to release the so-called “Epstein Files” earlier this summer marked a rare break between the president and some members of his diehard MAGA base. Now, a new point of contention has emerged: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “suit.