Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened with U.S. President Donald Trump and key European leaders at the White House on August 18, 2025, to forge a united stance against Russian aggression amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Accompanied by figures including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Zelenskyy sought robust security guarantees akin to NATO’s Article 5 to safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty. Trump, fresh from his August 15 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, proposed that Ukraine concede territories like Crimea—annexed by Russia in 2014—and forgo NATO membership to expedite peace, while European allies stressed bolstering Ukraine’s military defenses and preventing further Russian incursions. This gathering, following a tense February 2025 Oval Office encounter, underscored divergent strategies between diplomatic concessions and sustained military aid, aiming to counter Moscow’s advances and ensure regional stability.