Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that it is Russia’s responsibility to end the ongoing war, as he heads into high-stakes talks in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The meeting comes just days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which failed to secure a ceasefire. Trump has since shifted his position, calling for a final peace settlement and suggesting that Ukraine should abandon its NATO aspirations and relinquish Crimea.
“Russia must end this war, which it itself started,” Zelensky said upon arriving in Washington. “Ukrainians are fighting for their land and independence. I believe that together with America and our European partners, we can force Russia into real peace.”
Trump, writing on Truth Social late Sunday, argued that Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately, if he wants to,” and reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet one-on-one with Trump before broader talks that will include leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Meanwhile, Russia escalated attacks on Ukraine ahead of the talks, launching more than 140 drones and four ballistic missiles overnight, according to Ukraine’s air force. A drone strike on an apartment block in Kharkiv killed at least seven people.
Moscow-installed authorities also reported two deaths from Ukrainian shelling in Russian-occupied territories of Kherson and Donetsk.
The Washington meeting marks Zelensky’s first visit to the U.S. since a tense exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February, during which they criticized him for being “ungrateful.”
Despite Trump’s increasingly sharp tone toward Putin, Washington has not imposed additional sanctions on Moscow. Putin’s recent reception in Alaska, his first Western visit since the 2022 invasion, was widely viewed as a diplomatic victory for Russia.
Zelensky, speaking in Brussels before departing for Washington, said he wanted clarity on what was discussed between Trump and Putin. He also praised the U.S. for offering Ukraine new security guarantees outside of NATO’s framework, calling the move “historic.”
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff suggested that Russia had made “some concessions” regarding disputed Ukrainian regions, particularly Donetsk, though details remain unclear.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and claimed Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, and Zaporizhzhia in 2022, despite not fully controlling the territories. Trump is reportedly considering supporting Moscow’s demand for territorial recognition in parts of the Donbas in exchange for freezing the frontline elsewhere.
Zelensky, however, has repeatedly insisted that he is constitutionally bound not to cede Ukrainian Territory.
