Kyiv, August 16 2025: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday described his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump as “long and substantive,” voicing support for Trump’s proposal of a trilateral meeting with Russia to address the ongoing conflict.
“We started with one-on-one talks before inviting European leaders to join us. This call lasted for more than an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral conversation with President Trump,” Zelenskyy said in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian leader underlined his country’s commitment to peace and close coordination with partners. “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace. President Trump informed about his meeting with the Russian leader and the main points of their discussion. It is important that America’s strength has an impact on the development of the situation,” he noted.
Supporting Trump’s initiative, Zelenskyy added, “Key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.” He announced that he would meet Trump in Washington on Monday “to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war,” while stressing, “It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America.”
Zelenskyy also pointed to “positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security,” and thanked international partners for their continued coordination.
The remarks followed Trump’s statement on Friday after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump described the talks as “productive” and said the focus was on reducing the human toll of the war.
“We’re going to stop, 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 people a week from being killed, and President Putin wants to see that as much as I do,” Trump said. While noting that progress was made, he cautioned that several key issues remain unsettled. “There’s no deal until we have a deal. I’ll, of course, call up President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them,” he added.
Trump praised negotiators on both sides and emphasized his rapport with Putin, while acknowledging past strains. “The Russia hoax complicated relations, but we have a very good chance of getting there. Some points are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but let’s do the most productive one right now,” he said.
The discussions mark a new phase in diplomatic outreach, with Zelenskyy, Trump, and Putin all signaling cautious optimism for potential breakthroughs in the search for peace.
