Viktor Anisimov said he was not watching for criticism or compliments this time but wanted to ensure the Ukrainian president looked dignified.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy waves as he meets U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US president says security guarantees for Kyiv could be provided by European countries with ‘coordination’ by Washington.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy finds himself in an impossible bind: risk Donald Trump’s wrath or accept a quick deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine by paying the disastrous price of ceding territory for vague security guarantees that could see Moscow come back stronger in a few years’ time.

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday after his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders that security guarantees for Kyiv will likely be worked out within 10 days.

Donald Trump continued his bid to arrive at a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine with an extraordinary gathering of European leaders on Monday, there to support Volodymyr Zelenskiy on a freighted, unique occasion which he rightly described as “a first for the White House”.

The U.S. president invited Zelenskiy to Washington after rolling out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, Kyiv's arch foe, at a summit in Alaska that shocked many in Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands have died since Russia's 2022 invasion.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Ukraine’s security guarantees would be finalised within 10 days, following assurances from Donald Trump