Right before the meeting considered a turning point for the Ukrainian conflict in Washington D.C on August 18, US President Donald Trump sent a clear message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that in order to end the conflict, Ukraine must accept a number of conditions from Russia.
In a post on Truth Social on August 17, Mr. Trump wrote: "Ukrainian President Zelensky can end the conflict with Russia almost immediately, if Mr. Zelensky wants to, or he can continue fighting. Remember how it started. It is impossible to go back to the time when Putin gave Crimea (12 years ago, without firing a shot! ) and UKRAINA KONGEUTS NATO PARTICIPATES. There are things that never change!!! ".
The two conditions Mr Trump mentioned - Ukraine's abandonment of Crimea and a commitment not to join NATO - are also key requirements that Russian President Vladimir Putin raised at the summit in Alaska on August 15.
On August 18, President Zelensky and a host of European leaders will visit the White House. European leaders are concerned that this meeting will lead to Mr. Trump putting pressure on the Ukrainian leader to accept the conditions that President Putin put forward at the Alaska summit last week.
Europe hopes Trump will clarify what Russia is willing to delegate and what the role of US security in a future deal will be.
Meanwhile, President Trump did not hide his pride when he declared: A big day at the White House. There have never been so many European leaders present at the same time. It is a great honor to welcome them!! !"
According to the schedule, leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will join President Zelensky on the US trip.
Meanwhile, Russian delegate to international organizations in Vienna, Mr. Mikhail Ulyanov, affirmed that Russia also needs effective security guarantees in any peace agreement.
Many EU leaders have stressed that a peace deal must provide reliable security for Ukraine. Russia agrees with that. But we also have equal rights to expect effective guarantees for Moscow, Ulyanov wrote in X.
He said the West has not yet begun to think about what commitments it could make, while asserting that Russia is ready to make a proposal during negotiations.
