Minute by minute/ Will there be a peace deal? Trump awaits Zelensky and EU leaders

The war will end, I believe we will reach an agreement, said US President Donald Trump, from the Oval Office, where he welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Furthermore, the President of the United States said that "I believe the meeting will be decisive. If all goes well, we can organize a trilateral meeting to move forward with ending the conflict."

"It's not the end of the road, but the odds are in our favor. It's been almost four years and a lot of people have been killed; I hope President Putin also wants to see an end to this situation. What we're seeing is a result of Joe Biden's actions, but I have no direct connection to him. My desire is that we get to the end of this crisis," Trump said.

On the other hand, Zelensky said he is ready for a trilateral meeting.

A journalist asks Volodymyr Zelensky if he is ready to “send Ukrainian soldiers to their deaths” or “redraw the maps.”

"We live under attack every day," Zelensky responds, referring to the recent murder of a child.

"We must stop this war to stop Russia, and we need the support of our American and European partners.

We will do everything we can for this.

We show that we are a strong people and supported President Trump's idea to stop this war.

"We are ready for a trilateral meeting [with Putin]," Zelensky said.

President Donald Trump did not rule out sending US troops to Ukraine to help preserve a possible peace deal.

"We'll let you know about that, probably later today," Trump said during the meeting with Zelensky.

His opening to allowing US troops on the ground in Ukraine could make a big difference, as Ukraine considers security guarantees critical to any final peace deal with Russia.

Trump said that Europe will take the lead in securing peace, but that the US will be involved.

"They are the first line of defense, because they are there, in Europe. But we will help them. We will also be involved," he said.

Trump said that if there was a peace agreement, it would be implemented.

Donald Trump has refused to say whether this is the end of Washington's support for Ukraine.

The two leaders are now answering questions in the Oval Office.

Trump was asked whether today's summit was "with or without a deal."

He told reporters: "I can never say that.

"It's never the end of the road.

"People are being killed and we want to stop this. So I wouldn't say it's the end of the road. No, I think we have a good chance of doing it now."

Trump adds that he "believes" Putin also wants to end the war.

The meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky has begun at the White House, while the head of the White House expressed confidence that he will stop the war, without going into details regarding the idea of exchanging territories.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Donald Trump for today's summit in Washington and also thanked his wife Melania. The first lady wrote a letter to Vladimir Putin, which was delivered on Friday.

Sitting in the Oval Office, Zelensky said: "Thank you very much, Mr. President. First of all, I want to thank you for your invitation."

Thank you very much for your efforts and your personal efforts to stop the killings and end this war.

Thank you to your wife, the First Lady of the United States.

"She signed a letter to Putin regarding our kidnapped children," Zelensky said, as he handed the US President a letter for his wife.

Trump: We expect something positive, we have made significant progress

Donald Trump also emphasized that "we have had important discussions and have made significant progress. I believe there is a possibility that something positive will come out of our meeting today, which is crucial. Thank you for being here."

Donald Trump said there will be some kind of security guarantee for Ukraine. The American leader, speaking at the White House a few minutes ago, said: “There will be great, great help in terms of security. There will be great help. It will be good.”

"They are the first line of defense because they are there, but we will help them too. We will get involved."

Earlier, Trump said that the US loves Ukrainians.

US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy have appeared before reporters at the White House, where they discussed the possibility of a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump said there was a “reasonable chance” of ending the war if a US-Ukraine-Russia summit took place. “I think we’ll have a meeting. If everything goes well today, we’ll have a trilateral and I think there’s a real chance of ending the war,” he said, blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for the outbreak of the conflict.

For his part, Zelenskyy said he is "ready for a trilateral meeting" and that such a format "would be very good."

Trump also confirmed that the US would be involved in security guarantees for Ukraine, stressing: "There will be a lot of help when it comes to security. They are the first line of defense, but we will help them. We will be involved."

However, the US president did not clarify whether this would mean involving US troops, which signals a new move compared to his previous positions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Monday dressed in more formal attire than his usual military attire, but he did not wear a full suit and tie.

Earlier, a European official told CNN that Zelensky's choice of attire had been a topic of conversation between U.S. and Ukrainian officials ahead of Monday's White House talks. The official said the Trump administration had suggested that Zelensky not wear his usual military attire.

Zelensky's attire became a point of contention during his disastrous Oval Office meeting with Trump in February. When he welcomed the Ukrainian leader to the White House, Trump sarcastically remarked, "He's dressed very nicely today."

During that meeting, a pro-Trump journalist asked Zelensky: "Why aren't you wearing a suit?"

Zelensky told the reporter what he has been saying since Russia's full invasion in 2022: that he will wear his military uniform until there is peace in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at the White House. He was welcomed by President Donald Trump. Zelensky arrived about 15 minutes late, causing the scheduled time on the agenda to be pushed back.

It is expected that they will first shake hands in front of the media, while 15 minutes later the official meeting will begin, which will last approximately 1 hour.

According to the agenda, at 8:15 p.m. Trump will greet European leaders in the State Dining Room. At 8:30 p.m., the joint family photo will be taken. And at 9:00 p.m., President Trump will meet with European leaders in the East Room.

The meeting comes after the Alaska Summit where Trump and Putin reached a kind of agreement on peace in Ukraine. Trump will put Putin's concessions on the table to Zelensky and try to convince him to accept. We will have to wait until the end to see if there is a consensus.

The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to be delayed. The European leaders, along with the head of NATO, have arrived at the White House. They entered one after the other, as they were welcomed by local officials and with official ceremonies.

At 19:00 it was predicted that Trump and Zelensky would shake hands, but it has not happened yet. While at 19:15 the official meeting was expected to begin, which seems to be postponed. According to foreign media, Volodymyr Zelensky has not yet arrived and this has postponed the agenda. 

According to the agenda, at 8:15 p.m. Trump greets European leaders in the State Dining Room. At 8:30 p.m. there is a joint family photo. And at 9:00 p.m. President Trump's meeting with European leaders in the East Room.

Europe's top leaders have begun arriving at the White House for the important summit with US President Donald Trump.

The first to arrive was NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, followed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was welcomed on the South Lawn by a senior White House official. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also arrived.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb are expected to arrive in the coming hours.

Agenda according to Albanian time

18:00 – Arrival of European leaders at the White House
19:00 – Trump hosts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
19:15 – Trump-Zelenskyy meeting in the Oval Office
20:15 – Trump greets European leaders in the State Dining Room
20:30 – Joint family photo
21:00 – President Trump meets with European leaders in the East Room
This summit is seen as a key moment for coordinating transatlantic positions on security, Ukraine, and relations with Russia.

At 7:00 PM, US President Donald Trump's meetings with European leaders, who have landed in Washington in support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, are expected to officially begin, while these developments are considered vital for the future of the war in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, as reported by the Ukrinform agency, is meeting with leaders of EU countries before meeting with the head of the White House, Donald Trump.

Meetings with European leaders are taking place at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington "at various times."

Among the many meetings with Zelensky are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

A video conference of the 27 EU leaders is scheduled for Tuesday, international media reports. The heads of state and government of the 27 European Union member states will meet on Tuesday via video conference "to take stock" of today's talks at the White House, European Council President Antonio Costa announced.

"Together with the United States, the European Union will continue to work for a lasting peace, which will protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe," he added in X.

French President Emmanuel Macron said they would make it clear to President Donald Trump that they want a peace deal, but that it "will in no way constitute a capitulation" to Russia.

"We will not only accompany President Zelensky. We will also protect the interests of Europeans," he said before the trip.

But while it seems that the Europeans have taken every discussion and meeting very seriously, one of the US Navy admirals has not spared the mockery.

James Stavridis, former NATO commander and US Navy rear admiral, posted a photo proposing to Zelensky and all European leaders to dress alike, in green T-shirts, the Ukrainian President's favorite since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.

Meanwhile, Zelensky, referring to the meeting with Keith Kellogg, said, "I hope we will have time to discuss the architecture of security guarantees. This is really the most important thing."

Before traveling to Washington, Emmanuel Macron assured that Europeans will ask Donald Trump "to what extent" he will support the security guarantees offered to Kiev...

Russia continues operations on the ground, while at the White House in Washington, President Donald Trump will host his Ukrainian counterpart and European leaders this afternoon to discuss a plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, launched by Russia 3 years and 6 months ago.

At least 10 people have been killed in the latest Russian strikes, according to Ukrainian reports. An entire family, including a young child and his 16-year-old brother, were among seven killed in a drone strike overnight on a residential area in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, authorities said. The attack left 23 people injured.

The meeting agenda is as follows:

At 7:00 PM, European leaders will arrive at the White House.

At 8:00 PM, the US President will greet Zelensky

At 8:15 p.m., a bilateral meeting between the presidents of the United States and Ukraine will begin in the Oval Office.

At 9:15 p.m., the White House chief of staff will meet with European leaders in the State Hall.

At 9:30 PM there will be a joint photo of the American President with European leaders in Cross Hall.

At 10:00 PM, a multilateral meeting between the US President and European leaders will begin in the East Room.

Ukraine: We expect progress on security guarantees

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha stressed that expectations from the meeting at the White House are high. "If we talk about expectations from this meeting, it is about further progress, about a clearer understanding of the parameters of future security guarantees, something extremely important.

"It is also a step towards a trilateral Zelensky - Putin - Trump meeting, with the possible participation of other leaders of our allies. Of course, there are also issues of agenda and schedule," he said.

Sibiha described the current situation as "decisive," since, as he noted, maximum mobilization of diplomatic efforts could bring a just peace closer.

Responding to a question about Ukraine's "red lines," he was categorical: "The fundamental positions of the Ukrainian side remain unchanged. The Ukrainian president went to Washington, as always, with a strong position, coordinated with all allies: Crimea is Ukraine. There is a Constitution of Ukraine, which determines all the answers to this question."

Sibiha shtoi se një tjetër parim i panegociueshëm për Kievin është mospranimi i çdo kufizimi në aftësitë e ushtrisë ukrainase dhe mbrojtjes së vendit.

Çfarë dimë rreth premtimit të SHBA-së për “garanci sigurie” të ngjashme me Nenin 5 të NATO-s?

Pas takimit Trump-Putin në Alaska, “ne arritëm të siguronim lëshimin e mëposhtëm: që Shtetet e Bashkuara të mund t’i ofrojnë [Kievit] mbrojtje të ngjashme me Nenin 5, i cili është një nga arsyet e vërteta pse Ukraina dëshiron të bashkohet me NATO-n”, tha i dërguari i SHBA-së për Ukrainën, Steve Witkoff.

Përpara se të udhëtonte për në Uashington, Emmanuel Macron siguroi se evropianët do ta pyesin Donald Trumpin "deri në çfarë mase" ai do t'i mbështesë garancitë e sigurisë të ofruara Kievit.

Çfarë është Neni 5?

Ai përcakton që çdo sulm ndaj njërit prej vendeve anëtare të aleancës konsiderohet sulm ndaj të gjithëve. Çdo shtet duhet të marrë “menjëherë masat që i konsideron të nevojshme, duke përfshirë përdorimin e forcës së armatosur”. Prandaj, nuk ka përfshirje automatike të drejtpërdrejtë ushtarake. Përgjigja mund të marrë, për shembull, formën e mbështetjes logjistike ose furnizimit me pajisje ushtarake.

Telefonanat e Putin pas takimit në Alaska

Presidenti rus Vladimir Putin zhvilloi një bisedë telefonike me kryeministrin indian Narendra Modi, gjatë së cilës e informoi kryeministrin për rezultatet e takimit të tij me presidentin amerikan Donald Trump në Alaska.

"Faleminderit miku im President Putin për telefonatën dhe për ndarjen e takimit tuaj të fundit me Presidentin Trump në Alaska", shkroi Modi në llogarinë e tij X. Në përfundim, ai vuri në dukje se pret kontakte të reja me Vladimir Putin në ditët në vijim.

Më vonë, u bë e ditur edhe për një bisedë midis Vladimir Putin dhe Presidentit brazilian Lula da Silva, si dhe kreut të Kirgistanit, Sandir Japarov.

Këto nuk ishin të vetmet telefonata ndërkombëtare që Presidenti Putin bëri sot. Më herët gjatë ditës, ai diskutoi takimin në Alaska me Presidentin e Afrikës së Jugut, Cyril Ramaphosa, dhe Presidentin e Taxhikistanit, Emomali Rahmon.

Një ditë më parë, Putin zhvilloi gjithashtu bisedime me homologun e tij bjellorus, Alexander Lukashenko, nga Kazakistani, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dhe nga Uzbekistani, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Gjermania dhe Polonia refuzuan të dërgonin paqeruajtës në Ukrainë

Gjermania nuk ka kapacitetin financiar për të vendosur trupat e saj në Ukrainë brenda kuadrit të garancive të sigurisë. Kjo u deklarua nga kreu i Ministrisë së Jashtme gjermane, Johann Wadephul, në podkastin Table Media.

“Bundesëehr-i ka vendosur tashmë një brigadë në Lituani. Një vendosje shtesë e ushtarëve gjermanë në Ukrainë ndoshta do të ishte një barrë shumë e madhe për ne”, tha ministri. Megjithatë, sipas tij, Berlini duhet të luajë një rol të rëndësishëm në sigurimin e një paqeje të mundshme në Ukrainë. “Ukraina ka nevojë për garanci sigurie. SHBA-të e kanë bërë të qartë se janë gati për këtë. Tani duhet të shohim se çfarë mund të zbatohet së bashku me evropianët”, vuri në dukje zyrtari.

Qeveria e presidentit të ri polak, Karol Nawrotski, gjithashtu kundërshtoi dërgimin e forcave paqeruajtëse në Ukrainë pas luftës.

“Sot kemi të bëjmë me të ashtuquajturin koalicion të të vullnetshmëve. Mund të kemi harruar tashmë se çfarë lloj koalicioni ishte, dhe ishte një koalicion vendesh që ishin gati të dërgonin trupat e tyre në Ukrainë. Kjo nuk është zgjidhja më e mire”, tha ai.

Presidenti Karol Nawrotski deklaroi drejtpërdrejt se nuk është dakord me dërgimin e ushtarëve polakë në Ukrainë.

Qeveria ukrainase pret që lufta të vazhdojë deri në vitin 2026

Kabineti pret që lufta në Ukrainë të vazhdojë vitin e ardhshëm. Vendit do t'i duhen 45 miliardë dollarë shtesë për këtë. Qeveria ende nuk e ka siguruar shumën e plotë. Kjo u njoftua nga Ministri i Financave Sergei Marchenko gjatë prezantimit të programit të qeverisë së re.

“Ne presim që operacionet ushtarake të vazhdojnë në vitin 2026. Kjo rrjedhimisht mbulon nevojën tonë, e cila është 45 miliardë dollar, kjo është nevoja për financim të jashtëm, duke përfshirë deficitin plus shlyerjen e borxhit. Sot, kjo nevojë nuk është mbuluar plotësisht. Mendoj se së bashku me FMN-në, aleatët tanë kryesorë, do të arrijmë në një opsion të pranueshëm se si t'i mbulojmë këto nevoja”, tha Marchenko.

Zelensky nuk do të mbajë kravatë, të njëjtën xhaketë si në Hagë

"Do të ishte një shenjë e mirë për botën nëse Zelensky do të vishte kostum sot. Por ne nuk presim që ai ta bëjë këtë", tha për Axios një nga këshilltarët e Presidentit të SHBA-së Donald Trump.

Sipas tij, ata gjithashtu nuk presin nga udhëheqësi ukrainas që të vendosë kravatë, megjithëse shoqëruesit e Trump shpresonin që këtë herë ai të dukej më formal.

“Këshilltarët e Trump do të donin që Zelensky të vishte kravatë sot, por ai nuk do të veshë kravatë”, komenton Axios.

Kontakti i parë i parë i Zelenskyt në SHBA

Volodymyr Zelensky, siç raportohet nga Ukrinform, do të takohet me të dërguarin special të Donald Trump, Keith Kellogg, përpara fillimit të negociatave me udhëheqësit amerikanë dhe evropianë në Uashington.

Takimi i politikanit me Përfaqësuesin Special të SHBA-së për Ukrainën dhe Rusinë ka filluar, tha agjencia në një deklaratë.

Starmer: Duhet të sigurohemi që paqja të jetë e qëndrueshme

In a video posted on X from the plane taking him to Washington, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the war, in addition to Ukraine, "has had consequences for Europe and for every family in the United Kingdom." In this context, Starmer says in his message that the war must be solved by "everyone, not just Ukrainians." "We must make sure that the peace [we want] is sustainable, just and equitable. That is why I am going to Washington," he continued.

Europeans meet with Zelensky before meeting with Trump

European leaders in Washington will hold talks with Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, which is scheduled for 7 p.m., according to a statement from the European Commission. / Adapted from Pamphlet/

Vice President JD Vance will attend the meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump today. 

During Trump's heated confrontation with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in February, it was JD Vance who led the attack on the Ukrainian president before Trump joined the fray.

Vance accused Zelenskyy of lacking gratitude towards the US for its support, specifically asking him if he had said "thank you" during the meeting.

He also called the Ukrainian "disrespectful" for airing the disagreements in front of the American media, arguing that it was inappropriate to "link" the issues publicly in the Oval Office.

He also said the Ukrainian had campaigned on behalf of Democrats during the 2024 presidential election, claimed he organized "propaganda tours" in Ukraine and was "forcing recruits to go to the front lines" due to a labor shortage.

Donald Trump's change of position after the summit meeting in Alaska, Donetsk in the foreground and security guarantees from the US, European allies on the side of Volodymyr Zelensky

The main topic in all media is tonight's meeting between US President Donald Trump, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders, with the "territorial swap" between Russia and Ukraine at the top of the agenda. At the same time, the change in the US president's position is causing great concern among European officials.

Today's crucial meeting takes place in August, which has traditionally been considered a "dead" month for diplomatic consultations and summit-level talks, but the face-to-face meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 revived expectations for an end to the war that began after the Russian military invaded Ukraine.

Donald Trump claims that severe sanctions would be imposed on Vladimir Putin if he did not take the necessary steps that would lead to a ceasefire, while after the summit in Alaska, he seems to be open to the idea of pressuring the Ukrainians to cede territory to Russia.

International media outlets are analyzing all the details surrounding today's crucial meeting and explaining how European leaders have built a defensive wall around the Ukrainian president during negotiations with Donald Trump. This will essentially help avoid a repeat of a clash between the two leaders, as happened in February.

Starmer teaches Zelensky how to talk to Trump

The British Prime Minister has advised Volodymyr Zelensky on how to "stroke" Donald Trump's ego as he presents his political arguments, writes the Telegraph.

On February 28, Keir Starmer scored a diplomatic victory in his first meeting with the US president, according to the media, after managing to balance satisfying Trump’s ego with advancing Britain’s critical goals. The result was support for Keir Starmer’s deal to cede the Chagos Islands and warm words about a trade deal from the powerful Trump.

So British ministers and officials taught the Ukrainian leader how to “talk like Trump.” Among the instructions they gave him was not to “stab” every provocative statement and not to publicly try to “back” the American president into a corner, because that would make him react. They advised Zelensky to praise the American president.

Skynews: Ukrainians disappointed by Trump's stance

Sipas Skyneës, zyrtarët ukrainas thuhet se ndihen të tradhtuar nga presidenti amerikan, i cili duket se ka ndryshuar qëndrimin e tij në favor të Vladimir Putinit në një numër pikash kyçe pas takimit me të në Alaska.

Analiza pohon se Presidenti Trump ka minuar unitetin e Aleancës Perëndimore duke braktisur thirrjet e tyre për një armëpushim të menjëhershëm në Ukrainë. Presidenti amerikan, thuhet në analizë, nuk po kërcënon më me sanksione më të ashpra, dhe më shqetësuese është se ai duket i hapur ndaj idesë së detyrimit të ukrainasve të dorëzojnë territore që rusët nuk i kanë pushtuar ende.

Në fakt, raporton Skyneës, Donald Trump beson se konflikti mund të zgjidhet duke shkëmbyer territore. Putin, nga ana tjetër, e ka bërë të qartë se po lufton për të eliminuar Ukrainën si një entitet të pavarur dhe demokratik.

Ndërkohë, ukrainasit thonë se dorëzimi i tokës nga Zelensky, të cilën trupat ukrainase kanë luftuar për ta mbrojtur që nga viti 2014, do të ishte një veprim vetëvrasjeje politike dhe çmendurie strategjike.

Garanci sigurie nga SHBA-të

Nga ana e saj, gazeta Ëashington Post raporton se mes presionit ndaj Zelenskyt për një marrëveshje, SHBA-të do të ofrojnë disa garanci sigurie. Megjithatë, të gjithë parametrat do të diskutohen më tej midis Shteteve të Bashkuara, Ukrainës dhe aleatëve evropianë gjatë takimit të tyre këtë pasdite në Uashington.

Aleatët evropianë në anën e Zelensky-t

Aleatët evropianë kanë arritur në përfundimin e qartë se një konflikt i ri në Shtëpinë e Bardhë duhet të shmanget me çdo kusht. Kjo është arsyeja pse ata do të jenë në krah të Volodymyr Zelensky në takimin e sotëm. Konkretisht, do të jenë të pranishëm Presidentja e Komisionit Evropian Ursula von der Leyen, Sekretari i Përgjithshëm i NATO-s Mark Rutte , Kryeministri britanik Keir Starmer, Presidenti francez Emmanuel Macron, Kancelari gjerman Friedrich Merz, Kryeministrja italiane Giorgia Meloni dhe Presidenti i Finlandës Alexander Stubb.

Shqetësim i thellë pas samitit në Alaskë

Lordi britanik Darroch, një ish-ambasador në Uashington gjatë mandatit të parë të Donald Trump, tha se "formimi i shpejtë i delegacionit evropian të nivelit të lartë që shoqëron Zelenskyn në Uashington është një shenjë e shqetësimit të thellë në lidhje me dy aspekte të rezultatit të samitit të Alaskës. Së pari, Presidenti Trump tani beson se një marrëveshje gjithëpërfshirëse paqeje duhet t'i paraprijë armëpushimit. Dhe së dyti, sugjerimet se rruga drejt paqes mund të përfshijë lëshimin e edhe më shumë territorit nga Ukraina".

Qytetet e Donetskut janë "bastioni i fundit" për Ukrainën

Një nga temat kryesore në bisedimet e sotme në Shtëpinë e Bardhë do të jenë dy rajonet e Ukrainës lindore, të njohura si Donbas.

Rusia dëshiron që si Donetsku ashtu edhe Luhansku të dorëzohen, duke përfshirë zonat që aktualisht nuk janë nën kontrollin e saj. Forcat ruse kontrollojnë të gjithë Luhanskun dhe rreth 70% të Donetskut.

Many towns in Donetsk that are still under Ukrainian control are of strategic importance, military analyst Justin Crump told BBC Radio Four's Today show.

They constitute the "last force" and a "central point of Ukraine's defense," he said, with railway lines running through them that are critical for military supplies.

Ukrainians have “fought for every inch of land”, so it would be unacceptable for them to lose this territory to Russia, Kramp added, stressing that “no one in Ukraine - at this point - trusts any Russian promise not to continue the attacks”. / Adapted from BBC, Skynews, Telegraph and Washington Post /

President Donald Trump has reacted on social media to the meetings expected at the White House today. He called today a "big day for the White House."

" We've never had so many European leaders here at the same time ," he wrote on his Truth Social account.

" A great honor for America!!!! Let's see what the results will be??? "

Meanwhile, Ukrinform Agency reports that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with US envoy Keith Kellogg in Washington ahead of his talks with Trump.

The latter two would not be sorry, but here too the battle continues: it seems that yesterday Macron got heated up in the face of this hypothesis, proposing Geneva as a better option. Meloni calmed him down with a joke. This is not the moment to be divided.

Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni

Initially, she flew to Rome to connect with the Coalition of the Willing's video conference and prepare a joint line that will be presented today at the White House, when key European leaders, EU President von der Leyen, NATO head Rutte will meet Trump and Zelensky.

Then in the evening, Giorgia Meloni, always with her phone in her hand, left for Washington.

No one knows if a real step forward will be made. Of course, the goal is not to repeat the scene of six months ago, when Trump "ignored" Zelensky in front of the cameras, in an epic clash. As far as they are concerned, the real sticking point yesterday evening in the talks between the leaders was precisely the format of the press statements. The White House had thought of quick communications between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office immediately after the face-to-face meeting. But the risk that was being seen, as Meloni explained to allies, is that everything will turn into a show on Trump's part that ends up leaving Zelensky and all the other leaders without a voice, or in a dangerous overlap of voices and positions. Therefore, the pressure on Trump is great to adopt a more institutional model, as in Alaska: statements by both presidents without questions, at the end of the day.

It remains to be seen whether Trump will be convinced. Of course, as Meloni tells his own people, for the moment there is nothing left but to accompany his efforts with patience and persistence, without attacking him, even when the desire would be lacking due to the overly friendly tones he has used with Putin. But yesterday the Prime Minister also told the other leaders: the risk is that Trump, if attacked, will blow everything up and say that Ukraine does not want peace, Europe does not cooperate, and then do as you please because the Americans will come to an agreement directly with the Russians. A catastrophe, which would leave Europe in a bind. So, weave with the thread we have.

So, what is Italy's stance in Washington?

Saying that the Italian prime minister does not give much weight to the phone calls in which many countries participate without reaching any conclusion other than commenting on her own — to please Macron who will show "that he is the true leader of Europe", in a note Meloni writes that in the discussion "the importance of continuing to work with the United States to end the conflict and achieve a peace that ensures the sovereignty and security of Ukraine, which must be included in any decision, was reiterated". Furthermore, "the discussion confirmed the need to maintain collective pressure on Russia and for strong and credible security guarantees".

These words, of course, were more general than those exchanged by the leaders in their closest talks. The key point, for the Italian prime minister, who also discussed it with Zelensky, is to ensure that Ukraine will not be left alone in the future. And that, this is the plan "invented by us", as she reiterates, to expand the application of NATO's Article 5 so that if Ukraine were attacked, it would be protected by the alliance, even without being a structural part of it.

The idea does not convince Macron, who is pushing for a direct intervention by European countries in defense of Ukraine, with military contingents. But Meloni has responded: "Russia has one million and three hundred thousand soldiers: how many should we send to be there to fulfill the task?" And he adds: "If one of our soldiers were to die, would we pretend it didn't happen or would we have to react? Because if we react, it is clear that NATO will do the same. And then it is all the better to activate the clause immediately."

The idea seems to interest both Zelensky and Trump, less so Macron, who does not like the Italian position, in a clash of positions that has been going on for a long time. It will be a decisive moment, the first of the "extremely complex" issues, as the Italian Prime Minister says: the adoption of Russian as an official language, the territories that Putin is demanding, the ceasefire. But the security issue remains preliminary: what can Zelensky do to accept some of the Russians' conditions and explain to his compatriots that "death was of any use?" An automatic defense, the Italian Prime Minister is convinced, would be "a concrete, solid result" for him. It will be seen tonight if there are any steps forward. And perhaps the Italian proposal for Rome to be the venue for a possible tripartite meeting between Putin, Zelensky, Trump could be followed up. The latter two would not mind, but here too the battle continues: it seems that Macron got heated up yesterday in the face of this hypothesis, proposing Geneva as a better option. Meloni calmed him down with a joke. This is not the moment to be divided./ Corriere della sera