President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on August 18, drawing praise for breaking a diplomatic deadlock in the three-year conflict. Unlike his previous Washington visit, when Zelenskyy expressed frustration with stalled diplomacy, the Ukrainian leader this time struck a notably more optimistic tone. Dressed in a suit rather than the military-style attire he typically wore in prior visits, Zelenskyy projected a markedly different image alongside Trump and NATO allies.
The high-stakes gathering marked what several attendees called the most significant progress toward ending the war since Russia’s invasion began.
As The Dallas Express reported in February, Trump’s last face-to-face with Zelenskyy erupted into a fiery Oval Office exchange. The Ukrainian president openly sparred with Vice President JD Vance, dismissed talk of diplomacy, and bristled at Trump’s warnings about “gambling with World War III.” Trump later said Zelenskyy had “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office.”
By contrast, on Monday Zelenskyy struck a notably more optimistic tone, calling his latest conversation with Trump “very good” and adding, “We spoke about very sensitive points.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Trump officials defended the administration’s renewed peace push following a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte credited Trump directly, saying, “I really want to thank you, President of the United States, dear Donald, for the fact that, as I said before, broke the deadlock basically with President Putin by starting the dialogue.”
European leaders reinforced the sense of a new phase in diplomacy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, “It is an important day — a new phase — after three years that we didn’t see any kind of sign from the Russian side that they were willing for dialogue. So something is changing — something has changed — thanks to you.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb added, “I think in the past two weeks, we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three-and-a-half years.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the moment a milestone. “I think today will be seen as a very important day in recent years in relation to a conflict which has gone on for three-and-a-bit years. So far, nobody has been able to bring it to this point — so I thank you for that,” he said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pointed to the opening for negotiations. “You opened it last Friday — but now the way is open for complicated negotiations.”
French President Emmanuel Macron stressed unity among allies, saying, “Thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this meeting and for your commitment… everybody around this table is in favor of peace. This is why the idea of a trilateral meeting is very important because this is the only way to fix it.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen linked the peace effort to broader cooperation. “We had a fantastic NATO Summit. We had the largest trade deal ever — agreed. And now, we are here to work together with you on a… lasting peace for Ukraine. Stop the killing. This is really our common interest.”
Trump hosting Zelenskyy represents his most visible diplomatic push since returning to office — one that, for the first time in years, carried a tone of cautious optimism from both Kyiv and Europe and highlighted the sharp contrast with their last tense Oval Office encounter.