Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for “efforts to stop killings and stop this war” during an Oval Office meeting on 18 August. The exchange marked the start of talks aimed at advancing a negotiated end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the brief public remarks, Zelenskiy handed Trump a letter from Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska addressed to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. The note expresses appreciation for Melania Trump’s earlier letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which urged the Kremlin to release abducted Ukrainian children and pursue peace. The White House session follows Trump’s 15 August summit with Putin in Anchorage, where the U.S. president delivered Melania Trump’s appeal. While no breakthrough has been announced, European leaders are in Washington for parallel consultations as Washington, Kyiv and Moscow explore options for a broader settlement.