#Europe leaders arrive for #WhiteHouse meeting on #Russia - #Ukraine war
Ukraine’s future could hinge on a hastily assembled White House meeting Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr #Zelensky brings an extraordinary cadre of European leaders with him to show #Trump a united front against Russia.
The European political heavy-hitters left out of Trump’s summit with #Putin in Alaska are looking to safeguard Ukraine & the continent from widening aggression from Moscow.
Gee, #Trump seems really receptive to expert counsel 🙄 (/s)
His delusionally inflated ego is working overtime with the bullshit statement, “I’ve settled 6 Wars in 6 months”
Also, the time for placing blame on Biden for anything, passed long ago — ~7 months ago. Didn’t he say he could end the war on day 1?
GMAFB
#geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #US #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #InternationalLaw #LawsOfWar #StandWithUkraine
#Putin spoke with the leaders of #India, #Brazil & #SouthAfrica on Monday to discuss the results of talks between #Russia & the #US in Alaska, the Kremlin said, just hours before #Ukraine President Volodymyr #Zelensky was scheduled to arrived to speak with #Trump at the White House.
He also spoke with key allies, including leaders in #CentralAsia & #Belarus’ Alexander #Lukashenko, in a series of calls Monday & Sunday.
#geopolitics #PutinsPuppet #StandWithUkraine
https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-8-18-2025#00000198-bde2-db00-a198-ffe3d5990000
#MarkRutte, #NATO secretary general, was the first to arrive. Next up was #UrsulaVonDerLeyen, president of the #EuropeanCommission, followed by #KeirStarmer, the prime minister of the #UK.
#Italy Pm #GiorgiaMeloni & #Finland President #AlexanderStubb have arrived.
#Macron (#France) & #Merz (#Germany) have arrived.
#Zelensky is expected to be last to arrive at 1PM ET.
#geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #US #Trump #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #InternationalLaw #LawsOfWar #StandWithUkraine
#Zelensky is scheduled to meet w/ #Trump at 1:15PM ET.
Here are the Ukrainian reps coming with him:
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff
Sergiy Kyslytsya, first deputy minister of foreign affairs, fmr ambassador to the #UN
Rustem Umerov, head of #Ukraine's National #Defense & #Security Council, head of Ukraine's delegation at Istanbul talks
Pavlo Palisa, a fmr #military commander & deputy head of the presidential office
Ihor Brusylo, deputy head of the presidential office
#Zelensky has arrived
[I’m not thrilled that Zelensky wore a jacket. At least he’s not wearing a tie.]
#geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #US #Trump #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #InternationalLaw #LawsOfWar #StandWithUkraine
Back in the Oval Office with press, #Zelensky sat next to #Trump & clasped his hands in front of him. “Thanks so much Mr. President,” he said, adding that he thanked Trump for his personal efforts to stop the war.
[Zelensky, who was berated last visit for not thanking Trump, has learned that Trump responds to flattery]
“It’s an honor to have the president of #Ukraine with us,” Trump said. “We had a good meeting just a while ago with the president of #Russia. Today’s meeting is very important.”
#Trump said he believes he can secure a joint meeting with #Putin & #Zelensky “if everything works out well today.” He says he thinks there is a “reasonable chance in ending the war”.
Zelensky is asked by a douchebag #FauxNews reporter if he’s going to send more people to their death or if he’s prepared to “redraw the maps.” Zelesnky is polite—“thank you for your question”—but maintains the line that his country must find a diplomatic way to end the war & he’s ready for a trilateral meeting.
#Trump is asked if he’s willing to send #US peacekeepers to #Ukraine. He won’t say one way or another.
“There’s going to be a lot of help,” Trump says of potential security guarantees for Ukraine. He says he will discuss those details later with the European leaders who have traveled to Washington with President #Zelensky.
Trump says the #US will be *involved* in #security assistance for Ukraine as part of a deal to end the war, but he didn’t provide any additional details.
Prompted by a sycophantic reporter, #Trump complains about the #news coverage he’s gotten around his handling of the #Russia #Ukraine #war & his meeting with #Putin, claiming, “I used to get great publicity.”
Trump goes on to complain about the #media in general, #lies about winning by a landslide, goes on a rant about how #WashingtonDC was a horrible place before his takeover & now it’s sudden immaculate & safe. Whatever.
Now he’s going on & on about #Biden.
He’s a petulant child.
#Trump is increasingly benefiting from a #media pool system his aides #control & shape. There are very few reporters in this room right now who are asking challenging questions; the back & forth between Trump & #BrianGlenn, a correspondent for the #FarRight cable channel Real America’s Voice, is a good example of how the White House shapes its own media while claiming to be transparent.
#Trump says, “I don’t think you need a cease-fire,” doubling down on a position he adopted only AFTER his meeting with #Putin in Alaska. #Ukraine & #Europe have demanded that a #ceasefire come before
any negotiations over permanent #peace begin.
#geopolitics #Russia #US #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #InternationalLaw #LawsOfWar #StandWithUkraine
#Trump, who has repeatedly floated the idea of a third term, suggested he had an idea for “3½ years from now,” when his 2nd term expires.
“You mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections?” he said. “Oh that’s good.”
Zelensky laughed & then said no.
Asked about his post on #MailinBallots & #VotingMachines from earlier today Trump declare, “Mail-in ballots are corrupt.”This is not at all where Republicans were before 2024.
“We’re gonna end mail-in voting, it’s a fraud,” #Trump said, who BTWs has himself repeatedly voted by mail.
It’s totally unclear how Trump squares his 2024 win, in which there was lots of early & mail-in voting, with the idea that—in his words—it’s all a “fraud.”
Trump is again abusing this meeting with a captive press to discuss his favorite topics: crime in Washington, mail-in ballots, his media coverage, transgender athletes, Democrats.
Meanwhile #Zelensky sits by silently.
#Zelensky, when asked what #security guarantees #Ukraine needs from any peace deal, says, “Everything.”
Zelensky has repeatedly pushed for security guarantees for Ukraine to make sure that #Russia won’t just agree to a deal & then invade Ukraine again after regrouping.
#Trump said he woud speak to #Putin after the meetings today. “He is expecting my call when we’re finished,” he said.
#geopolitics ##PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #InternationalLaw #LawsOfWar #StandWithUkraine
#Russia has launched a wave of attacks on #Ukraine cities as President #Zelensky arrived in Washington for talks with #Trump. While Ukrainians & Russians continue to die on the battlefield & in major cities, Zelensky is listening to Trump air #grievances & #ConspiracyTheories about the 2020 election & crime in Washington.
#geopolitics #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #InternationalLaw #LawsOfWar #StandWithUkraine
The Oval Office pre-meeting media blitz is over.
#Zelensky has officially survived the first public appearance with #Trump today.
Zelensky & Trump are now in closed-door talks, after which a group photo of Trump, Zelenskyy & the dignitaries from #Europe will follow before everyone meets in the East Room at 3PM to discuss how to end #Russia’s war against #Ukraine — that’s the plan anyway.
#geopolitics #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
After #Trump - #Zelensky private meeting, Trump spoke from the room where #Europe leaders had lunch.
He said:
* He will try to work out trilateral meeting with US, Ukraine & #Russia
* Russia agreed to accept #security guarantees
* Optimistic all will reach a collective agreement to deter aggression on Ukraine
* also need to discuss the possible exchanges of #territory
* He thinks a resolution is possible today
#Zelensky then said:
* All of us want to finish this war & stop #Russia
* "We will speak more about #security guarantees. This is very important that the #UnitedStates gives such a strong signal & is ready for security guarantees."
* This has been the best conversation with #Trump so far
[that’s not a high bar]
* #Ukraine would be happy for a trilateral meeting
The leaders from Europe all sat around a large table, & took turns addressing #Trump directly.
The format is similar to Trump's recent Cabinet meetings, where agency heads offer Trump praise 🙄 & then bring up specific issues they want to address.
#NATO'S #MarkRutte:
"We have to stop the killing. We have to stop the destruction of #Ukraine's infrastructure. This is a terrible war," Rutte said. He thanked Trump & said he "broke the deadlock."
#EuropeanCommission’s Ursula
#VonDerLeyen:
"We are here to work together with you on a just and lasting peace for #Ukraine, to
stop the killing."
"Every single child has to go back to its family."
"I can't imagine that the next meeting would took place without a #ceasefire. So let's work on that and let's try to put pressure on #Russia."
"We will talk about many important topics. The first one is #security guarantees, how to be sure that it won't happen again, which is the precondition of every kind of peace."
"We've worked very hard during the past few years to have a peace, which is a robust & long-standing peace. This is why the idea of a trilateral meeting is very important because this is the only way to fix it."
"We're talking about security, not just of #Ukraine, we're talking about the security of #Europe & the #UnitedKingdom as well, which is why this is such an important issue."
"The fact that we're around this table today is very much symbolic, in the sense that it's Team Europe & Team United States helping Ukraine."
#Trump, #Zelensky & #Europe leaders next met privately
Trump suggested the next few weeks could see some sort of resolution.
"I think that President #Putin wants to find an answer too, & we'll see," he said.
"In a certain period of time, not very far from now, a week or 2 weeks, we're going to know whether or not we're going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue."
#Trump also said he expected #Putin to
release Ukrainian prisoners soon.
"I think you'll see that President Putin really would like to do something also," Trump said before the start of the meeting.
"I know there's over 1,000 prisoners, & I know they're going to release them. Maybe they're going to release them very soon, like immediately, which I think is great.”
He also said while everyone would prefer an immediate #ceasefire, at this moment "it's not happening."
Meanwhile, #Russia rejects #NATO troop deployment in #Ukraine
British minister #StephenKinnock reiterated Britain's support for #Ukraine #sovereignty & its right to pursue NATO & #EU membership without external constraints.
Russia does not consider the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine a viable solution to the conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
It views recent statements from the #UK on the matter as provocative.
#Trump has interrupted the meeting with #Zelensky & #Europe leaders to call #Putin - Bild reports
The meeting is to be resumed after the call, Germany's top-selling Bild tabloid reported.
#intervention #geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #US #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
Source isn’t fantastic — Bild German tabloid published by #AxelSpringer:
According to information from BILD reporter Paul Ronzheimer, #Trump interrupted the talks with the Europeans - for a phone call with Kremlin ruler Vladimir #Putin! After that, the round will continue.
#intervention #geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #US #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/politik-ausland/ukraine-krieg-die-aktuelle-lage-im-live-ticker-83726300.bild.html
President of #France Emmanuel #Macron proposed a future 4-way meeting about #Ukraine that would include #Europe.
He said the idea of a trilateral meeting - involving the #US, #Russia & Ukraine - is "very important, because this is the only way to fix it", but suggested Europe should also be involved.
"As a follow up, we would need the quadrilateral meeting, because when we speak about #security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent," Macron said.
#Trump breaking his meeting with #EU leaders & #Zelensky to call #Putin is a positive step toward a peace agreement, not a negative one, European leaders say.
Europeans have the impression that Trump often backs the view of the last person he has talked to. [They’re not wrong]
EU leaders' continued presence at the White House Monday allows them to get that last word after the Putin call.
#Trump #intervention #geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine
https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-war-live-trump-zelenskiy-discuss-russias-terms-peace-2025-08-18/
#Ukraine offers $100 billion #weapons *deal* to #Trump for #security
Ukraine will promise to buy $100B of #USweapons financed by #Europe to get guarantees from the Trump admin for its security after a settlement with #Russia, FT reported, citing a document seen by the newspaper.
FT added that under the proposals, Ukraine & the #US would also strike a $50B deal to produce drones with Ukrainian companies.
#Ukraine Air Force says Russian strategic bombers take off for possible attack on Ukraine
"We will provide additional updates if the situation changes," the Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app.
#Trump meeting with #Zelensky & #EU leaders has concluded, White House says
It was not immediately clear if the leaders would reconvene in another format or when.
Trump earlier said he would invite the leaders back to the Oval Office after the meeting concluded.
#intervention #geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
Talks have moved to the Oval Office
Serhii Nikiforov, press secretary of the office of the President of Ukraine, told Ukrainian journalists that the negotiations had resumed in the Oval Office in a “leaders-only” format (not sure who that includes), according to a report from the foreign press pool at the White House.
#Trump #intervention #geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
#Trump says he has begun arrangements for a meeting between #Russia’s #Putin & #Ukraine’s #Zelensky.
Trump posted that he discussed #security guarantees for Ukraine with leaders from the #EU, #Finland, #France, #Germany, #Italy, #NATO, #Ukraine, & the UK.
These "would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States," Trump poste.
Trump said a meeting between Putin & Zelensky is being arranged, & it will be followed by a trilateral meeting.
#Zelensky & #EU leaders are still at the White House & are now expected to stay for dinner (presumably to keep applying pressure), according to two people familiar with the plans.
#Trump #intervention #geopolitics #Russia #Ukraine #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
#Merz: Not sure #Putin will have the #courage to come to a summit with #Zelensky
#Germany’s Friedrich Merz spoke just after talks ended with #Trump.
He credited Trump with persuading #Russia's President to *agree* to a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart that would take place at a location TBD.
"We don't know whether the Russian president will have the courage to attend such a summit. Therefore, persuasion is needed," said Merz.
During a break in the meeting, "the American president spoke with the Russian president on the phone & agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president & the Ukrainian president within the next 2 weeks," #Merz told reporters.
#Trump had agreed to extend another invitation to a 3-way meeting afterward, so that negotiations could "truly begin", added Merz.
#Merz said #Trump was impressed [🙄] that the Europeans had come with a unified front, & their discussions with the #US admin would now turn to details on #security guarantees for #Ukraine.
"It is absolutely clear that the whole of #Europe should participate," said Merz, praising Trump's announcement that the US is also prepared to provide them.
#intervention #geopolitics #Russia #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
#Finland's President Alexander #Stubb told Finnish reporters after the meeting with #Trump:
- agreed on #security guarantees & steps forward
- Coalition of the Willing has already worked on security guarantees & will build on those
- 🚨 There is nothing concrete about #US participation in security guarantees; Trump will inform
- Details of security guarantees to be ironed out in the next week or so
#intervention #geopolitics #Russia #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #TACO #StandWithUkraine
- Main agreement was killing has to end
- #Trump’s idea to call #Putin & propose a bilateral meeting between #Zelensky & Putin
- Will see if Putin has the courage to come to such a meeting, he cannot be trusted
- Within a week we *could* get something more concrete on #US #security guarantees, followed by the bilateral
- Most sceptical over Putin's commitment to the process
#intervention #geopolitics #Russia #PutinsPuppet #StrongmanFanboy #StandWithUkraine
#Zelensky spoke to reporters outside the White House. He said:
- We need not a pause in war but real peace
- He received important *signal* from the #US on being *part of* #security guarantees & help in coordinating it
- #Ukraine is ready for any format to meet with #Putin
- The result of talks in Washington is "good, normal"
- In Putin-Trump call, #Russia first offered a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, with a trilateral meeting to follow
#Zelensky also said:
- #Ukraine & #Russia should meet without any conditions
- He had a long discussion with #Trump about #territories
- Details of #security guarantees to be worked out within 10 days
- There is an agreement with the #US for drone purchases
- There is Ukrainian offer to buy about $90 billion worth of #USweapons
- Territorial issues will be decided between Russia & Ukraine
President Emmanuel #Macron of #France told reporters at a news conference in Washington on Monday night that what was needed was a “solid & robust peace agreement.” In Anchorage, #Russia had refused a #ceasefire, he said, but #Trump is convinced he can come to an agreement without one. “We will see what unfolds,” Macron said, with a key point being to stop the bombing of #Ukraine.
#Trump said Tuesday that the #UnitedStates will help defend #Ukraine AFTER its war with #Russia but that there will NOT be #US #troops on the ground [they’ll be too busy in Democratic US cities].
“You have my assurance,” Trump said in a FauxNews interview, a day after a White House summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr #Zelensky & other European leaders.
“When it comes to #security, they’re willing to put people on the ground,” #Trump said, referring to #Europe nations. “We’re willing to help them with *things*, especially *probably* ... by air because there’s nobody that has the kind of stuff we have.”
The issue of security guarantees for #Ukraine — & potential US involvement in them — has proved to be a sticking point for #TACO.
In the FauxNews interview, #Trump confirmed that he excused himself toward the end of his meetings Monday with European leaders to call #Russia’s president, Vladimir #Putin, to *update* him on their peace talks & propose a meeting between Putin & #Zelensky. Trump said he believes such a meeting has become possible because the 2 wartime leaders are perhaps “getting along a little better than I thought.”
Zelenskyy should not drink or eat anything in any meeting with putin
@Nonilex You want safety? I got safety! What have you got?
If you ask me, Taco plays both sides.
Nonilex
samiamsam
Justin Derrick