Washington: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the United States alongside several European leaders for high-stakes peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The White House confirmed that President Trump and President Zelensky will hold a bilateral meeting today at 1:15 PM (U.S. time), corresponding to 10:15 PM in Pakistan. A separate session between President Trump and European leaders is scheduled for 3:00 PM (U.S. time), or midnight in Pakistan.
Ahead of the talks, President Trump made headlines by declaring that the United States would not support Ukraine's efforts to reclaim Crimea from Russia or pursue NATO membership. “Those are off the table,” Trump said. “President Zelensky could end the conflict almost immediately if he really wanted to.”
In a social media statement upon arrival, Zelensky expressed gratitude to the U.S. President for hosting the talks. “We all want this war to end quickly and safely,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that unity among American and European allies could push Russia toward a "genuine peace."
The meetings come amid renewed diplomatic efforts to bring a resolution to a war that has deeply impacted global security and strained international relations.
On Friday, U.S President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska for talks on Ukraine that ended without the cease-fire Mr. Trump had been insisting was necessary to secure a peace deal. Instead, he backed Mr. Putin’s plan for a sweeping peace agreement based on Ukraine ceding territory it controls to Russia.
Russia already occupies almost a fifth of Ukraine, including the entire Crimean Peninsula and large portions of an eastern region known as the Donbas.
U.S President Donald Trump told European leaders after his Alaska meeting that a peace deal could be struck quickly if Mr. Zelensky agreed to give up the rest of the Donbas.
