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President Donald Trump said Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could end the war with Russia “almost immediately” if he wanted.
Trump’s comments come ahead of his scheduled meeting with Zelenskyy and several European leaders in Washington, D.C. on Monday.
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb confirmed Sunday they would attend the meeting in Washington.
EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet during the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in The Hague, Netherlands on June 25, 2025. (Getty Images/ZELENSKIY / OFFICIAL / TELEGRAM ACCOUNT / )
Their joint presence underscores Europe’s push to present a united front as Russia’s war drags on.
Zelenskyy met von der Leyen in Brussels ahead of the Trump talks to set priorities for the White House meeting, focusing on long-term military aid, Ukraine’s EU ambitions, and bolstering transatlantic solidarity against Russian aggression.
Von der Leyen said at a joint press conference she was glad to join Zelenskyy and other leaders in Washington on Monday.
Trump called it a “great honor.”
ZELENSKYY OUTLINES PEACE DEMANDS BEFORE HIGH-STAKES WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH TRUMP
President Donald Trump gestures in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!” he said in another post on Truth Social.
“The Fake News has been saying for 3 days that I suffered a ‘major defeat’ by allowing President Vladimir Putin of Russia to have a major Summit in the United States,” Trump said in another post. “Actually, he would have loved doing the meeting anywhere else but the U.S., and the Fake News knows this. It was a major point of contention! If we had the Summit elsewhere, the Democrat run and controlled media would have said what a terrible thing THAT was.
“These people are sick! They even want CRIME IN D.C., and other BLUE Cities throughout our Country, but don’t worry, I won’t let that happen,” the president continued. “Just like our now secure Southern Border (ZERO illegals in last 3 months!), our cities will be Secure and Safe, and D.C. will lead the way!”
SUMMIT WITH PUTIN SET TO TOP TRUMP’S AGENDA THIS WEEK AS UKRAINE WAR TAKES CENTER STAGE
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Zelenskyy’s White House meeting follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday, where Trump dropped his ceasefire demand and urged a final peace deal.
After meeting with Putin, Trump said the Russian leader was willing to end the war in exchange for key Ukrainian territorial concessions. He added that Kyiv should take the deal because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”
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Zelenskyy and European leaders consistently reject proposals to surrender Ukrainian land to Russia.
Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
