August 19, 2025 | 10:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his readiness to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. According to a CNA report, his statement was made on Monday, August 18, 2025, following discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump and several European leaders at the White House.
The meeting would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Russia's invasion nearly three and a half years ago.
"I confirmed – and all European leaders supported me – that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin," Zelensky said.
Pressure on Ukraine
Before the meeting in the U.S., Trump had reportedly pressured Ukraine to relinquish Crimea and abandon its plans to join NATO, two major demands from Russia. However, Zelensky affirmed that he successfully detailed the situation on the front lines to Trump in a closed meeting at the White House.
"This was the best of our meetings. I was able to show many things, even on the map, to all American colleagues regarding the situation on the battlefield," Zelensky said, according to a statement put out by his office.
Focus on Security Assurances
Instead of territorial concessions, the meeting in the U.S. focused on a security assurance plan for Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the discussions were aimed at devising security mechanisms.
Trump added that the assurance would be provided by various European countries in coordination with the United States. Zelensky then emphasized the importance of the United States' role.
"It is important that the United States of America gives a clear signal that it will be among the countries that will assist, coordinate and also be participants in security guarantees for Ukraine," he said. He mentioned that the plan would be formalized within a week or ten days.
Putin-Zelensky Meeting Plan
As reported by Al Jazeera, Trump announced a plan to hold a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky as part of his efforts to end the war. He stated that he had initiated preparations after a phone call with Putin and would hold a trilateral meeting after their bilateral one.
"Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He also mentioned that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were assigned to coordinate the plan with Russia and Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that Putin had agreed to a bilateral meeting, though the date and location had yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, according to the Russian news agency TASS, presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov only mentioned that Putin and Trump had agreed to continue direct talks with Ukraine.
Russia had previously insisted on rejecting a Putin-Zelensky meeting, viewing him as an illegitimate president because Zelensky had postponed the Ukrainian election on the grounds of a military emergency.
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