Trump meets Zelenskyy, says Ukraine war might be the 'easiest to end'

Trump met Zelenskyy at the White House, days after talks with Putin in Alaska, and said both leaders wanted peace as European leaders joined negotiations on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump on Monday (IST) said the conflict in Ukraine might be the “easiest” to end, claiming both Kyiv and Moscow are ready for peace.

 

Trump’s remarks came during a joint press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Addressing reporters, Trump said, “I don’t know when this war will end but we have to end this war. Zelenskyy wants to end it, Putin wants to end it. I have ended six wars and I thought Russia-Ukraine would be the easiest. I ended India and Pakistan war. But I am confident we will end this war.”

 

 

.@POTUS: "I don't think you need a ceasefire. If you look at the six deals that I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn't do any ceasefires ... I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason: because you'd stop killing people immediately." pic.twitter.com/KD6cWlYd9L

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 18, 2025

  The meeting comes just days after Trump’s historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

 

Trump lamented that a lot of people have been killed on both on both sides. "I know the president (Zelenskyy), and myself, and I believe Vladimir Putin want to see it (war) ended," he said.   

 

Zelenskyy calls for joint effort

 

Zelenskyy stressed the need for collective efforts involving Washington and European allies. “We are ready for a trilateral meeting with Russia and US for peace. We need support from our European partners and US,” he said.

 

On a peace deal, Trump noted, “We’re going to work with Ukraine, we’re going to work with everybody, and we’re going to make sure that if there’s peace, that peace is going to stay long-term. We’re not talking about a two-year peace and then we end up in this mess again.”

 

Trump blames Biden for war

 

Trump distanced himself from responsibility for the conflict, blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for it. “This is not my war, this is Joe Biden's war. Many people have died and we want to see that stop,” he said.

 

"The US has given $300 billion to this war under Joe Biden. He is not a smart man. If I were the president back then, this war would not have happened. He was a horrible, corrupt president," Trump added.

 

European leaders to join White House talks

 

Several European leaders arrived at the White House to meet Trump and discuss a possible peace deal with Russia.

 

These include French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also be in attendance.

 

Russia’s demands and Ukraine’s stance

 

Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede the Donbas region and recognise Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. Trump recently posted that Zelenskyy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to.”

 

Zelenskyy rejected the terms. Ukraine’s Constitution forbids surrendering territory, and Kyiv has only hinted at accepting a freeze of current battle lines. Russia currently controls about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory.   

 

European concerns and Russian strikes

 

European leaders fear that if Moscow succeeds in Ukraine, it could threaten other nations in the region. Their concerns grew after a Russian drone strike on Kharkiv on Sunday killed six people, including two children, and injured 20 more, according to Associated Press.

 

Russia also reported intercepting 23 Ukrainian drones overnight across its territory and in Crimea.

 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “Ukraine’s territorial decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table.” She backed strong security guarantees for Kyiv, adding the country must become “a steel porcupine” against invasions.

 

Trump-Putin talks in Alaska

 

On August 15, Trump and Putin held nearly three hours of talks in Alaska. Both leaders described the discussions as “productive,” though no agreement was reached.

 

Trump said he wanted to reduce civilian casualties, noting, “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.”

 

He acknowledged that unresolved issues remained. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said, adding he would brief Nato allies and Zelenskyy.

 

Putin praised the talks as “constructive” and claimed the war would not have started if Trump had been president in 2022. At the press conference, Putin invited Trump to Moscow for future talks. “Next time in Moscow,” Putin said. Trump replied, “That’s an interesting one. I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening.”

 

Both sides confirmed progress was made, with further discussions expected.

 

(With agency inputs)