President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet during the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in The Hague, Netherlands on June 25, 2025. (Getty Images/ZELENSKIY / OFFICIAL / TELEGRAM ACCOUNT / )
Their joint presence underscores Europe’s push to present a united front as Russia’s war drags on.
Zelenskyy met von der Leyen in Brussels ahead of the Trump talks to set priorities for the White House meeting, focusing on long-term military aid, Ukraine’s EU ambitions, and bolstering transatlantic solidarity against Russian aggression.
Von der Leyen said at a joint press conference she was glad to join Zelenskyy and other leaders in Washington on Monday.
Trump called it a "great honor."
ZELENSKYY OUTLINES PEACE DEMANDS BEFORE HIGH-STAKES WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH TRUMP
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Zelenskyy’s White House meeting follows Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday, where Trump dropped his ceasefire demand and urged a final peace deal.
After meeting with Putin, Trump said the Russian leader was willing to end the war in exchange for key Ukrainian territorial concessions. He added that Kyiv should take the deal because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not."
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Zelenskyy and European leaders consistently reject proposals to surrender Ukrainian land to Russia.
Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-zelenskyy-can-end-russia-war-almost-immediately-before-hosting-seven-european-leaders