JUST IN: Trump Announces Next Zelensky Meeting After Talks With Russia

President Donald Trump announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be traveling to Washington D.C. on Monday for a meeting after the administration engaged in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Kremlin officials in Alaska on Friday.

Zelensky confirmed the meeting in a social media post just hours after Putin and senior members of his administration departed from Anchorage. Trump said the meeting “went well” and was geared towards finding a peace agreement to the conflict rather than a temporary ceasefire.

“On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation,” Zelensky posted on X. The Ukrainian leader went on to state that he and Trump engaged in extensive one-on-one talks over the phone in the hours following the summit.

“We had a long and substantive conversation with [President Trump]. We started with one-on-one talks before inviting European leaders to join us. This call lasted for more than an hour and a half, including about an hour of our bilateral conversation with President Trump,” Zelensky wrote. “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace. President Trump informed about his meeting with the Russian leader and the main points of their discussion. It is important that America’s strength has an impact on the development of the situation.”

He further noted that Ukraine is open to the idea of a trilateral meeting with Russia and the United States, adding that European partners will be brought into the discussion as well in order to ensure a lasting peace.

In a follow-up post, Zelensky emphasized that future talks must be centered on securing a long-lasting peace agreement to the decade-long conflict. “A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions,” he wrote.

“Killings must stop as soon as possible, the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the sky, as well as against our port infrastructure. All Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians must be released, and the children abducted by Russia must be returned. Thousands of our people remain in captivity – they all must be brought home. Pressure on Russia must be maintained while the aggression and occupation continue.”

According to Zelensky, he and Trump discussed the possibility of increased U.S. sanctions on Russia and its main economic partners, something President Trump has also threatened as recently as last week. “Sanctions are an effective tool. Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the U.S. All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine’s participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader continued.

“I thank our partners who are helping. Today, there is an important statement from European leaders that strengthens our position. We continue working together – Europeans, Americans, and everyone in the world who wants peace and stability in international relations.”

The latest statements from Zelensky mark a significant shift in tone, particularly on the issue of territorial concessions, as he previously stated that Ukraine would not give up any land as recently as last week. Russia has annexed four provinces in the nation’s east — including Luhank and Donetsk, where fighting has raged for more than a decade — though the annexations have not been recognized by the international community.

Russia also annexed the Crimea Oblast in 2014, which contains the vital port of Sevastopol. The Kremlin has maintained that Crimea and the eastern provinces want to be a part of Russia, while Ukraine and its partners have accused Russia of violating international law with its military offensives.

In a social media post of his own, Trump confirmed the conversation with Zelensky and said it went “very well.”

“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump wrote.

If Monday’s meeting goes well, the two sides will schedule a trilateral meeting with Russia in the coming weeks, the president added.