U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a hastily arranged White House meeting on 18 August that Washington will "help Europe" deliver security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any agreement to end Russia’s war. Trump said European nations would remain “the first line of defence” and would "take a lot of the burden," while the United States would coordinate and contribute to the effort. He added that such guarantees could be agreed even without an immediate cease-fire, indicating he wants negotiations to proceed directly toward a full peace settlement. Zelenskiy welcomed what he called a “strong signal” from the United States, stressing that binding guarantees from both Washington and European capitals are essential to deter future Russian aggression. European leaders have pressed the Biden administration to formalise the pledges before further talks with Moscow.