Extended meeting with EU leaders as wellWe had 'best' conversation yet with Trump: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky on Monday (18 August) gave an upbeat asessment of talks with US counterpart Donald Trump and said they discussed security guarantees.

"We had a very good conversation with President Trump, and it really was the best one - or, sorry, maybe the best one will be in the future," Zelensky said at an expanded meeting with European leaders.

The Ukrainian president indicated that he would like to see President Trump participate in a future meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, if such a meeting takes place.

"President Trump will try to organize such a meeting," Zelensky said of Trump's push for another meeting with Putin. "And he said that he will come or not come, Ukraine will be happy if you [do]."

After Trump and Zelenskyy's meeting, they headed for the meeting with the European leaders. Before attend the meeting; Trump, Zelenskyy and the European leaders stood for a photoshoot inside the White House.

Top EU leaders comment

Keir Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday’s meeting with US President Donald Trump could be a “historic step” for Ukraine and Europe’s security.

I think we could take a really important step forward today, a historic step actually could come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe," Starmer said.

Alexander Stubb

Finnish President Alexander Stubb praised US President Donald Trump for the progress made in talks to resolve Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“I think in the past two weeks, we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three and a half years,” he said today, pointing to the symbolic nature of the leaders gathering to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

Friedrich Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the path is open for more serious negotiations to be held on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“I can’t imagine that the next meeting will take place without a ceasefire,” he said. “So let’s work on that.”

Mark Rutte

“The fact that you have said ‘I am willing to participate in the security guarantees’ is a big step, it’s really a breakthrough, and it makes all the difference. So also thank you for that,” Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said to Trump.

Emmanuel Macron

French president Emmanuel Macron said a European leader should be at the table when Trump, Zelenskyy, Putin sit for the next meeting.

“I think as a follow up, we would need probably a quadrilateral meeting. Because when we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent,” he said.

Giorgia Meloni

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanks Trump for Russia's willingness to talk about ending the war.

"I think it is an important day, a new phase, after three years ... [when] we didn't see any kind of sign from the Russian side, that there [is] a willingness for dialogue," she said.

"So something is changing. Something has changed," she added.