President Zelensky Praises White House Meeting: Demonstration of True US-European Unity

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky praised his meeting with several European allied leaders and President Donald Trump as a demonstration of true unity between the United States and Europe.

President Zelensky, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, held a meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

"Thank you to President Trump for the invitation and the special format of our meeting today. Thank you to all the leaders present with us today," he wrote on social media, as quoted on August 19.

"Today is an important step, a demonstration of true unity between Europe and the United States. The leaders came together in person to support Ukraine and discuss everything that will bring us closer to true peace, a reliable security architecture that will protect Ukraine and all of Europe," he continued.

"We continue to work, coordinating our steps among all allies working to end the war with dignity. Thank you to everyone who has helped," President Zelensky concluded.

President Trump and President Zelensky spoke privately before joining other European leaders for more than two hours of multilateral talks.

A source in the European delegation said President Trump had told European leaders that President Putin suggested he meet directly with President Zelensky first.

President Zelensky described his direct talks with President Trump as "very good" and said they discussed Ukraine's need for U.S. security guarantees.

"It's very important that the United States sends a strong signal and is ready for security guarantees," he said.

President Trump said European countries would be "the first line of defense because they're there, but we're going to help them."

Last week, President Zelensky secured support from the European Union and NATO ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last Friday, according to Reuters.

That support is crucial amid concerns that President Trump and President Putin will try to dictate terms to end the 3.5-year-old war.

President Trump himself has urged an immediate end to Europe's deadliest war in 80 years. The war has killed or injured more than a million people on both sides, including thousands of civilians, mostly from Ukraine, according to analysts, and devastated large swathes of the country.