The Absent Yet Present in Alaska: Zelensky Heads to Washington, Europe Joins the Call
U.S. President Donald Trump held extended separate phone conversations with his Ukrainian counterpart and several European leaders to brief them on the outcomes of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following the meeting in Alaska, Trump had a “lengthy call” with Volodymyr Zelensky while returning to Washington aboard Air Force One, according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
Speaking to reporters aboard the presidential aircraft, Leavitt added that Trump also spoke with NATO leaders. Trump disembarked at 2:45 a.m. local time (6:45 GMT) but declined to answer questions from the press.
The Washington Meeting
For his part, Zelensky disclosed details of his call with Trump in a post on his official account on the X platform: “We had a long and in-depth conversation with the U.S. president,” he wrote.
He added: “We began with bilateral discussions before inviting European leaders to join us. The call lasted more than an hour and a half, including nearly an hour of one-on-one talks with President Trump.”
According to him, “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to make every possible effort to achieve peace. We briefed President Trump on the results of his meeting with the Russian leader and the main issues they discussed. It is vital that America’s influence helps shape the development of the situation.”
Zelensky also endorsed Trump’s proposal to convene a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, stressing that this format is suitable for addressing key issues at the leadership level.
He continued: “I will meet President Trump in Washington on Monday to discuss in detail all matters related to ending the fighting and the war. I am grateful for this invitation.”
At the same time, he emphasized that “it is crucial for Europeans to be involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees alongside America.”
He concluded: “We also discussed the positive signals coming from the U.S. regarding their participation in ensuring Ukraine’s security. We continue to coordinate our positions with all our partners. I thank everyone who contributed to this.”
Europe on the Line
Meanwhile, a European Commission spokeswoman said the call, which included Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, lasted “a little over an hour.”
During their Alaska summit, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin failed to achieve any breakthrough regarding the war in Ukraine. Neither president offered anything new on a ceasefire, though both pointed to areas of common ground and exchanged cordial gestures.
After three hours of talks, the summit was abruptly declared over. The two leaders held a joint press conference in which they praised one another but did not take questions from journalists—an unusual move for an American president who traditionally places great emphasis on the media and public communication.
