Washington, Aug 18 (V7N) — European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington this week for critical talks at the White House, following growing concerns over Donald Trump's recent comments regarding peace negotiations with Russia. The summit, set for on Monday (Aug 18), brings together a range of European officials, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
 
The meeting follows a high-stakes summit between U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which took place earlier this month. The summit saw Trump warmly welcome Putin to American soil for the first time in nearly a decade, even as he appeared to adopt a peace stance closely aligned with Russia’s position. Despite the optimism around the summit, no significant breakthroughs in peace talks were achieved, with Trump pulling back from his earlier threats of imposing additional sanctions on Russia.
 
Zelenskyy, who has been leading Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression, is expected to push for continued military and diplomatic support from the U.S. and its European allies. The visit will underscore Ukraine’s reliance on Western backing, especially as the war enters its 18th month.
 
This gathering of world leaders comes at a critical time for the ongoing conflict, which has left Ukraine in a prolonged struggle against Russia's invasion, and international efforts to broker peace remain at a standstill.
 
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