Before his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Ukraine cannot join NATO. Zelensky can either end the war with Russia immediately or choose to continue the fighting

Trump wrote on Truth Social, 'If Zelensky wants, he can end the war with Russia almost immediately, or he can choose to continue the war.' And remember how it all started. Obama could not get Crimea back (12 years ago, without a single shot fired!), and Ukraine will not join NATO. Some things never change

Trump and Zelensky’s meeting today took place ahead of the talks between the U.S., Ukraine, and European leaders. The meeting will be held in Washington. On August 15, Trump had met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump said that this meeting did not help in stopping the war in Ukraine. He reiterated his call not just for a ceasefire, but for a peace agreement

Trump had said that Putin is ready for talks, and now the decision lies with Zelensky. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also take part in today’s meeting in Washington

After meeting Putin, Trump also spoke with Zelensky. The White House reported that on his way back from Alaska to Washington, Trump had a lengthy conversation with Zelensky, followed by talks with NATO leaders. After the Alaska summit, Trump said that both Putin and Zelensky want him to be part of these discussions, and therefore he will be present.

The last meeting between Trump and Zelensky took place earlier this June during the NATO summit. Before that, in February, Zelensky had visited Washington, where the two leaders had a heated exchange in front of the media. During that meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of not being ready for peace and of showing disrespect toward the United States