U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and six European leaders at a White House summit on 18 August that Washington is prepared to extend unspecified security guarantees to Kyiv if a broader peace deal with Russia can be reached. Zelenskyy hailed the meeting as a "major step forward" and said his team is now drafting the terms of those assurances. Trump also floated the idea of U.S. "air support" rather than ground troops and signalled that Europe would be expected to shoulder most of the burden. The pledge has not been matched by Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin is open to discussions but insisted any future leaders’ meeting must be carefully prepared. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned he will not accept NATO forces on Ukrainian soil and continues to demand territorial concessions, including formal recognition of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. While diplomacy inches forward, fighting continues. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles overnight—its largest aerial attack this month—setting fires at the country’s only oil refinery in the central Poltava region. No cease-fire prerequisites were imposed by Trump at the summit, adding to uncertainty over how military pressure on the ground might shape negotiations. European participants—including the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Finland—welcomed the absence of any U.S. move to cut support for Kyiv but pressed for clarity on the scope and duration of American guarantees. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said membership for Ukraine is not on the table, but an “Article 5-style” commitment is under discussion. The same group plans to reconvene on 19 August in a “Coalition of the Willing” format to refine proposals aimed at drawing Russia into formal talks and securing a durable settlement.