EU leaders to hold video conference on Ukraine after Washington talks, Costa says

In the Oval Office, Zelensky said Ukraine wants to end the war and welcomed Trump's signal of openness to trilateral negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We are ready for trilateral talks. As president said, it's a good signal about trilateral," Zelensky told reporters.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also backed "Article 5-like security guarantees" for Ukraine, saying the country must become "a steel porcupine, indigestible for potential invaders."

An EU source told the Kyiv Independent that several EU leaders had expressed interest in such a debrief, particularly those not present in Washington.

"Many wounded are in serious condition — right now, doctors are fighting for their lives," regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

According to CNN, European officials privately voiced concern about his absence in Alaska, calling him the American figure with the deepest understanding of what terms Ukraine might consider in a deal.

Russia, one of the world's largest energy producers, relies heavily on oil exports to fund its full-scale war against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russian energy facilities that both supply fuel to its military and generate revenue for the Kremlin.

Lieutenant General Essedoulla Abatchev has held senior posts in Chechnya and Dagestan and was named Hero of Russia by President Vladimir Putin in 2022.

Since November 2022, Russian forces have only captured 5,842 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, accounting for about 0.97% of the country's landmass, according to DeepState.

"Russians are using the symbols of the U.S. in their own terrorist, aggressive war involving the killing of civilians," Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, said.

"The goal is to break through our defenses and advance deep into (our) territory. Their goal, of course, is (occupying) the entire region," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

"The army aviation has proven itself very well: helicopters equipped with machine guns are highly effective," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.