Key European leaders will join Ukrainian president Zelensky at talks with US president, Donald Trump, in Washington on Monday (18 August).
Zelensky is currently in Brussels where he met with European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.
European leaders have announced they will be joining Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a trip to the White House on Monday. They include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking to the press after her meeting with president Zelensky, Von der Leyen said she is glad to be accompanying Zelensky and other European leaders to Washington tomorrow.
"We will continue to support you for as long as it takes," she said, addressing the Ukrainian leader.
Von der Leyen says peace "must be achieved through strength", before setting out what a deal should look like.
First, this must include security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe, she says.
Ukraine must also be able to uphold its territorial sovereignty, and there must also be no limitations on its armed forces - including on joining international organisations and getting assistance from other countries.
The European Commission president goes on to say she welcomes President Donald Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like "security guarantees". Article 5 is a Nato principle that says the organisation's members will come to the defence of an ally which comes under attack.
She said the EU is "ready to do its share". She goes on to say that defending Europe is its responsibility.
She said the defence needs of member states can be matched, adding that she will travel to frontline member states in the coming weeks.
Von der Leyen adds that Brussels supports Ukraine's path to membership of the EU.
Von der Leyen said international borders cannot be changed by force. "These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone. These decisions must not be taken without Ukraine in the table."
Von der Leyen says that as long as the bloodshed in Ukraine continues, the EU will continue with sanctions on Russia.
A Ukrainian journalist, asked Zelensky what security guarantees he would consider appropriate, and whether he fears a repeat of the shouting match that took place in the Oval Office during his February visit.
Zelensky responded that he understands the financing of security guarantees can only be funded by Europe, but says there are still things that can be provided by the US.
He says Ukraine also needs a guarantee that Russia will not continue to occupy its neighbour.
On the White House trip, he says he hopes that it will be a productive visit.
A journalist asks both of the European leaders if they agree with Trump that there is "no need" for a ceasefire and instead peace negotiations should begin immediately.
Von der Leyen responded by saying that what's most important is to "stop the killing".
She says it's important to have a "trilateral meeting" with Ukraine, Russia and the United States, adding that clear timelines need to be kept.
Zelensky agreed with this sentiment, and says they need to "push" Russia to real negotiations. He added that now that they need to share all their resources with Trump and to make "lasting peace".
Zelensky said he and von der Leyen talked about defence before thanking her for help on drones as well as the latest round of sanctions on Russia.
"Sanctions show we are serious," he added.
Finally, Zelensky said the two talked about school children ahead of the new school year starting soon.
Earlier president Zelensky said that "Putin has many demands but we do not know all of them", adding that it will take time to go through them all, if there are as many as we have heard.
He said that's impossible to do now, under the pressure of fighting, so a ceasefire is needed to work quickly on a final deal. As a result, "real negotiations" that start where the front line currently stands are necessary, he added.
Zelensky stressed that the Ukrainian constitution makes it impossible to give up territory - and this should only be discussed by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at a trilateral summit.
He said that it's also important that the US agrees to offer security guarantees for Ukraine alongside Europe.
"We need security to work in practice like Article 5 of Nato," he adds, referencing the Nato directive that members will support other Nato members if attacked.
source commonspace.eu with BBC (London) and agencies.
photo: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen with Ukrainian president Zelensky in Brussels on 17 August 2025
