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DONALD Trump has said Ukraine can end the war “immediately” as European leaders assemble today in Washington for high-stakes peace talks.
The world leaders are expected to map out a Ukraine peace deal as Russia continues its campaign of deadly strikes against Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials reported on Monday that an overnight Russian drone attack on Kharkiv resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including a child, and left more than a dozen others injured.
Russian strikes also pummelled the Sumy region, near the border, injuring two civilians.
It comes just two days after Trump rolled out red carpets and flew a B-2 bomber to greet Vladimir Putin at Alaska for historic peace talks.
Meanwhile, the summit, which Trump anticipated would aid Russia in moving towards a breakthrough ceasefire, was deemed a total failure from the perspectives of Ukraine and Europe.
With no peace deal, Trump and Zelensky are now expected to meet one-on-one before being joined by a cohort of European leaders today.
The top agenda will be to discuss the future of Ukraine and a possible end to the bloody war.
Ahead of the crucial summit, Trump said that Zelensky can “end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight”.
However, he added that Ukraine will not get back Crimea, something Kyiv is already willing to give up if it means lasting peace.
Kyiv seems poised to have to relinquish its aspiration of formally joining NATO but is fervently seeking future assurances for its remaining territory.
America has now confirmed that Ukraine will be offered Nato-esque protection and will step in if Putin strikes again in future.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff informed CNN that following Trump’s discussions with Putin: “We managed to secure the following concession — the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is a primary reason why Ukraine desires NATO membership.”
Nato’s Article 5 states an attack on one member is considered an attack on all — and allies must come to its defence.
Witkoff said the move would be “game-changing” as it was the “first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that”.
The meeting will include Sir Keir, alongside the leaders of France, Germany, and Italy, as well as the heads of NATO and the EU, demonstrating strong solidarity against Russian actions.
This will mark the first occasion Zelensky visits Washington following a dispute with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February, when they criticized the Ukrainian leader for being “ungrateful”.
Swathes of eastern Ukraine are on the negotiating table as the leaders discuss how to stop the Russian aggression once and for all.
Last night, European leaders, including Sir Keir, held a video conference ahead of the White House meeting where they warned the Kremlin’s barbarous invasion must not see “borders redrawn by force”.
Zelensky yesterday said territory haggling could only be discussed “by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia” at his expected showdown with Putin.
Follow The Sun’s live blog below for all the latest updates…
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What Trump and Zelensky want from the summit?
For Donald Trump, it is a chance to convince Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a quick peace deal and end bloodshed in Ukraine – something the US president has been chasing ever since he stepped inside the White House.
But the quick deal may not be all good news for Ukraine, as it may have to cede more territory to stop the Russian onslaught.
Zelensky instead wants to take things slow and get the Russians to stop striking his country initially with a ceasefire.
He, too, wants lasting peace in his war-torn nation, but not at the expense of more Ukrainian territory.
The brave Ukrainian leader also wants America to offer security guarantees against future Russian aggression.
Europe, meanwhile, is expected to act as a mediator to facilitate the talks.
It hopes to get a fair deal for Ukraine, one that diminishes the chances of Russia attacking Europe again in the future – which political analysts have warned could happen in the next five to 10 years.
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Aftermath of overnight Russian strikes in Ukraine
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Russian strikes kill 3 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv ahead of White House meet
An overnight Russian drone strike on Kharkiv killed three people, including a child, and wounded more than a dozen others, Ukrainian authorities said Monday.
“As of now, three people are known to have died, including a small child. 18 people were wounded, including children,” Kharkiv region police wrote on Telegram.
The police warned that people may be trapped under the rubble of a five-storey apartment building hit in the pre-dawn attack.
The city near the Russian border was also hit hours earlier by a ballistic missile that wounded at least 11 people, Mayor Igor Terekhov said.
Early Monday, Russian strikes also pummelled the Sumy region, near the border, wounding two.
Head of the regional military administration, Oleg Grygorov, said a bomb and then a drone wounded a 57-year-old woman and a 43-year-old driver.
The latest aerial attacks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European allies are expected in Washington for talks aimed at ending the war.
Just ahead of Zelensky’s arrival in the US capital, US President Donald Trump said reclaiming Crimea or entering NATO were off the table for Ukraine.
Zelensky has repeatedly pushed back against pressure to cede the territory currently occupied by Russia, which comprises around 20 percent of Ukraine.
Russia has recently made further territorial gains, mainly in the east of Ukraine, while proposing that Ukraine leave Donbas in exchange for freezing the frontline in the Black Sea port of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where the main cities are still under Kyiv’s control.
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Trump says Ukraine can end war ‘immediately’
Ahead of the crucial summit, Trump said that Zelensky can “end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight”.
However, he added that Ukraine will not get back Crimea, something Kyiv is already willing to give up if it means lasting peace.
Kyiv is also set to be forced to abandon its dream of formally joining Nato.
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Leaders of Europe head to Washington to map out Ukraine peace deal
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to meet one-on-one before being joined by a cohort of European leaders today.
The meeting comes on the heels of a summit between Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, which failed to yield a ceasefire breakthrough but produced promises from both leaders to provide “robust security guarantees” to Ukraine.
The top agenda will be to discuss the future of Ukraine and a possible end to the bloody war.
