Front row left to right, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk stand with other leaders during a group photo at a summit on Ukraine at Lancaster House in London, on March 2, 2025. Christophe Ena/AP

Welcome back to our coverage of the very latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s main European allies and other members of the “coalition of the willing” will meet virtually today, as the White House prepares to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.

The flurry of diplomacy comes as US President Donald Trump seeks to arrange a trilateral meeting between himself, Zelensky and Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin for high stakes talks aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine.

Here are the key things to know:

Coalition of the willing: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are expected to chair a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” on Sunday. It’s the second meeting this week of the group that was set up earlier this year to provide Ukraine with security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire.

Zelensky to the White House: Several European leaders are expected to join Trump for his Oval Office meeting with Zelensky on Monday, a White House official told CNN. US Vice President JD Vance is also expected to attend but the final list of attendees is still undetermined. European officials anticipate at least one other leader from the continent will take part. Trump has told them he hopes to arrange a trilateral summit with Zelensky and Putin by next Friday.

Zelensky doubts Russia: Zelensky said he is “grateful for the invitation” to meet with Trump at the White House, in a post on X, but added that Russia “rejecting numerous demands for a ceasefire… complicates the situation.”

What Putin wants: Putin insisted Ukraine gives up the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine, according to European officials familiar with Trump’s accounting of the meeting to his counterparts afterward. In return, he’s said to have offered to freeze current front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and pledged not to attack Ukraine or other European nations again. However, he maintained demands for Ukraine to reduce its military, abandon NATO ambitions and adopt neutrality.

Hand-delivered: Zelensky’s chief of staff thanked US First Lady Melania Trump for urging Putin to protect Ukrainian children in a letter her husband hand-delivered to Putin in Alaska. “The return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia should be a key condition for any peace agreement,” Andriy Yermak wrote on social media Saturday. More than 35,000 Ukrainian children have been taken to over 100 locations in Russia and Russian-occupied territory during the war, according to the Ukraine Conflict Observatory.

President Nikos Christodoulides will take part this afternoon in a video conference of the “coalition of the willing,” – a grouping of allies of Kyiv – held at the level of heads of state, government leaders and international organisations.

The meeting is co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders at 4pm local time.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to participate, along with other European leaders.

The agenda will focus on the outcome of the August 15 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as an exchange of views on the next steps, including tomorrow’s scheduled talks between the presidents of the US and Ukraine.

In a written statement, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis underlined that Cyprus’ position remains one of firm support for Ukraine. He noted that the Republic of Cyprus, itself facing 51 years of occupation of a large part of its territory following the Turkish invasion, consistently advocates respect for the UN Charter, the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states.

Letymbiotis added that Cyprus welcomes US mediation efforts aimed at achieving a sustainable peace, in line with international law and the will of Ukraine.

Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not”.

Lessons learned, relationship repaired? Trump and Zelensky’s path back to the Oval Office

Joel Gunter

Reporting from Kyiv

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Media caption, Watch moment Zelensky, Vance and Trump get into angry exchange over Ukraine war

Several European leaders are now confirmed to be joining Zelensky and Trump at the White House, but how have the two presidents rebuilt their relationship since the fiery exchange in the Oval Office in February?

President Zelensky heads to Washington on Monday for the first time since he was publicly dressed down in February by President Trump and Vice-President Vance.

The world watched that spectacle open-mouthed. Nothing like it had been seen in the Oval Office before, or possibly in all of international diplomacy.

Zelensky was kicked out of the White House. It was hard to imagine a way back for the relationship. But in the months afterwards, European leaders worked diligently behind the scenes to repair it.

The Ukrainian leader was coached to flatter, to talk in terms of deal making. In other words, to speak Trump.

At the same time, Russia kept hitting Ukraine, and Trump realised that what Vladimir Putin said in closed-door meetings was not necessarily what he did in reality.

In April, Ukraine signed a minerals deal that gave the US a financial stake in the country, and Trump and Zelensky spoke privately at the Vatican. Ukraine made it clear they were willing to pay for American weapons.

By July, the two leaders were on the phone for a call the Ukrainian president would describe as “the best conversation we have had”.

Trump is still seen to be highly susceptible to flattery and impressed with strongmen-style leaders, so Putin’s power to influence him remains a concern for Ukraine.

But Zelensky is learning. And he has good friends to call on Europe, ahead of Monday’s Oval Office round two.

“We will give some good advice,” Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said.

Published on 08/17/2025 at 05:45 am EDT – Modified on 08/17/2025 at 05:52 am EDT

LONDON/BERLIN (Reuters) -The leaders of France, Germany and Britain will try to shore up Ukraine’s position on Sunday as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to meet Donald Trump in Washington with the U.S. leader pressing Kyiv to accept a deal to end the war.

President Trump is leaning on Ukraine to strike an agreement after meeting Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska where, according to sources, the Russian president offered to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for vast swathes elsewhere.

At face value, some of Putin’s demands would be hugely difficult for Ukraine to accept, setting the stage for potentially fraught talks about ending Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years, which has killed or wounded more than 1 million people.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” – a grouping of allies of Kyiv – from 1300 GMT.

European powers want to help set up a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskiy to make sure Ukraine has a seat at the table to shape its future.

They also want robust security guarantees for Ukraine with U.S. involvement, and the ability to crank up pressure on Moscow if needed.

“They will spell out what they consider essential in terms of security guarantees: what they can do themselves, what falls to the coalition of volunteers, and also what they expect from the United States,” a European government official said. “Indeed, they expect a very robust commitment.”

One or more of the European leaders could also accompany Zelenskiy when he flies to Washington on Monday for his meeting with Trump.

Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not”.

After the Alaska summit with Putin, Trump phoned Zelenskiy and told him that the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow’s main targets, a source familiar with the matter said.

Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014.

Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies have called for. That was a reversal of his position before the summit, when he said he would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on.

Zelenskiy said Russia’s unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. “Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war,” he said on X.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 60 drones and one ballistic missile. It said it downed or jammed 40 of the drones.

PREPARING FOR OVAL OFFICE MEETING

Zelenskiy’s last Oval Office meeting, in February, went disastrously, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance giving the Ukrainian leader a strong public dressing-down.

Merz said he did not think Zelenskiy would face as difficult a time this time around, adding that Zelenskiy would talk on Sunday to European leaders who would help him prepare for the meeting.

“We’ll give a few good pieces of advice,” he told German broadcaster n-tv.

Merz told ZDF that while it was important that Europe stand united, the U.S. would for the time being continue to play the decisive role in the war.

“The American president has the power both militarily and via appropriate sanctions and tariffs to ensure that Russia moves more than it currently does,” he said.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months.

In his statement after the Alaska summit, Putin signalled no movement in Russia’s long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv’s desired membership in the NATO alliance.

Mark Lyall Grant, Britain’s national security adviser during part of Trump’s first term, said the summit was a “clear win” for Putin because Trump dropped his previous call for an immediate ceasefire.

However, he added that it was positive that there appeared to be some willingness from the U.S. to be involved in offering some security guarantees for Ukraine.

“That is absolutely critical because apart from the issues of land swaps, which is a very complicated issue, the most important longer-term issue is the security guarantees for what is left of Ukraine, so Putin doesn’t do what he normally does, which is have a time to rearm and come back for more at a later stage,” he told Reuters.

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Tom Balmforth, Andreas Rinke, Layli Foroudi, Max HunderWriting by Matthias WilliamsEditing by Frances Kerry)

By Andrew MacAskill, Tom Balmforth and Andreas Rinke

Russia is complicating efforts to get a ceasefire in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to meet with European leaders to discuss the war.

The so-called coalition of the willing, the alliance which is planning to police a future peace deal in Ukraine, will meet on Sunday afternoon amid reports Donald Trump favours a Russian land grab to end the war.

Following the Alaska summit between Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin on Friday, the American leader suggested he wants to move straight to a full peace deal, rather than negotiating a ceasefire first.

The shift in Mr Trump’s position appears to echo the Russians’ refusal to agree to ceasefire before engaging in peace talks.

President Donald Trump listens as Vladimir Putin speaks in Anchorage, Alaska (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Several news outlets have cited sources which claimed that during the negotiations Mr Putin demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk – two occupied Ukrainian regions – as a condition for ending the war.

In exchange, he would give up other Ukrainian territories held by Russian troops.

Other outlets reported that Mr Trump is inclined to support the plan, and will speak to Mr Zelensky about it when they meet in the Oval Office.

Writing on social media on Sunday morning, the Ukrainian leader railed against Russia’s refusal to lay down arms temporarily before agreeing to end the war.

Mr Zelensky said: “We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing.

“This complicates the situation.”

He added: “If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades.

“But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war.”

The Prime Minister, alongside French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz, will host the coalition of the willing on Sunday afternoon.

The video conference will see allies who plan to keep the peace in Ukraine gather ahead of Mr Zelensky’s visit to Washington on Monday.

The Ukrainian leader is expected to attend the Sunday afternoon video call, which is scheduled to take place at 2pm UK time.

Friday’s summit between Mr Trump and Mr Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, ended without any commitment towards a ceasefire.

The Russian president described it as “timely” and “useful” after he left.

Mr Trump afterwards suggested it was time for Mr Zelensky to make a deal to end the war.

Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Sir Keir Starmer will host a coalition of the willing call on Sunday afternoon (Kin Cheung)

Sir Keir commended Mr Trump’s “pursuit of an end to the killing”, but insisted Ukraine’s leader must not be excluded from future talks to broker a peace in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister and European leaders appeared increasingly confident that Mr Trump will offer a “security guarantee” of air support to back up allied troops on the ground in Ukraine, should they be deployed to keep the peace.

Experts have warned the face-to-face summit has risked legitimising the Russian leader, who has been made a pariah by the international community for invading Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky has warned Russia may ramp up its strikes against his country in the coming days “in order to create more favourable political circumstances for talks with global actors”.