Trump to Meet Zelensky, White House Confirms for Early Morning of 19th Taiwan Time | WPN World People News

The White House announced that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at 1:15 p.m. Eastern Time on August 18 (1:15 a.m. Taiwan time on August 19). Later that day, at 3:00 p.m. (3:00 a.m. Taiwan time), Trump will host a meeting in the East Room with multiple European leaders. The talks are being regarded as a potential diplomatic turning point in the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelensky arrived in Washington late on the 17th and wrote on Telegram: “I thank the U.S. President for his invitation. We all hope for a swift and reliable end to this war. Russia must put an end to the war it started.” He stressed the hope of working together with the U.S. and European allies to compel Russia to end the conflict and achieve real peace.

Leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Finland, along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, will accompany Zelensky at the White House meeting to demonstrate steadfast support for Ukraine. European leaders have voiced concerns that Trump might reprise the tense clash he had with Zelensky at the White House in February, underscoring that any peace deal must include both Ukraine and the EU. EU foreign policy representative Kaja Kallas stated: “This war is not only against Ukraine, but a challenge to the freedom of all Europe.”

Following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, Trump publicly said that the war could end if Ukraine agreed to relinquish Crimea and pledged never to join NATO. His remarks triggered strong backlash across Europe, while Zelensky firmly rejected the notion of “land for peace,” stressing that Ukraine’s legally recognized borders are non-negotiable. Although Trump has styled himself as a mediator pushing for a trilateral summit, Moscow has said conditions are not yet ripe, while Zelensky has insisted that any agreement must guarantee Ukraine’s security and sovereignty.