Ukraine war latest: 'We'll give them very good protection, very good security' — Trump says in White House meeting with Zelensky
Key developments on Aug. 18:
- 'We'll give them very good protection, very good security' — Trump says in White House meeting with Zelensky
- EU leaders to hold video conference on Ukraine after Washington talks, Costa says
- Zelensky says Putin undermines diplomatic efforts after Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 30
- Top Russian commander seriously wounded in Ukrainian strike, Dagestan head says
- Russia occupied less than 1% of Ukraine's territory since November 2022, monitoring group says
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Aug. 18 for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
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.
"If everything works out well today, we'll have a trilat — and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that," Trump added.
When asked whether security guarantees for Ukraine could involve U.S. troops, Trump avoided reponding directly, saying "we're going to work with Ukraine, we're going to work with everybody, and we're going to make sure that if there's peace, the peace is going to last long term."
"We'll give them (Ukraine) very good protection, very good security" Trump said later, when. asked on security guarantees for Ukraine again.
Zelensky is joined in Washington by a delegation of European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte are to join as well. The leaders are expected to take part in broader discussions following Zelensky's one-on-one meeting with Trump, American president said.
Trump also confirmed that he expected another call with Putin later in the day after all the meetings with Zelensky and European leaders.
EU leaders to hold video conference on Ukraine after Washington talks, Costa says
European Council President Antonio Costa has convened a video conference of EU leaders on Aug. 19 to discuss the outcome of high-level meetings in Washington on Ukraine, Costa wrote on X on Aug. 18.
"I have convened a video conference of the members of the European Council for tomorrow at 13:00 CEST, for a debriefing of today's meetings in Washington D.C. about Ukraine," Costa wrote.
"Together with the U.S., the EU will continue working towards a lasting peace that safeguards Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests," Costa said.
An EU source told the Kyiv Independent that several EU leaders had expressed interest in such a debrief, particularly those not present in Washington.
Zelensky says Putin undermines diplomatic efforts after Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 30
Three people were killed and 30 injured in a Russian missile strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia on the morning of Aug. 18, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov.
"Many wounded are in serious condition — right now, doctors are fighting for their lives," Fedorov wrote on Telegram. "Among them is a 17-year-old boy. Some of the victims are currently undergoing surgery."
Fedorov said the number of injured had risen to 30 as of 5:48 p.m. local time.
The attack struck an industrial facility, destroying buildings and damaging nearby residential areas, according to the regional Prosecutor's Office.
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to the victims' families, saying Russia "knows that today there is a meeting in Washington to end the war," referring to his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump later in the day.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin will kill demonstratively in order to continue putting pressure on Ukraine and Europe and to undermine diplomatic efforts," he added.
Top Russian commander seriously wounded in Ukrainian strike, Dagestan head says
Lieutenant General Essedoulla Abatchev, deputy commander of Russia's Leningrad Military District, was "seriously wounded" in one of Russia’s border regions, Dagestan head Sergei Melikov said on Aug. 18.
Abatchev, a native of Dagestan, has held senior military posts in Chechnya and Dagestan and was awarded the title of Hero of Russia by President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) reported on Aug. 17 that Abatchev was injured in a Ukrainian strike on a Russian convoy in Kursk Oblast, which borders Ukraine.
According to the agency, his arm and leg were amputated as a result of the attack.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) accused Abatchev in September 2022 of participating in Russia's war of aggression and violating Ukraine's territorial integrity.
A number of senior Russian officers have been killed or wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion. The BBC's Russian service has identified at least 10 generals and 524 colonels and lieutenant colonels killed in the war.
Russia occupied less than 1% of Ukraine's territory since November 2022, monitoring group says
Russia has occupied less than 1% of Ukrainian territory over 1,010 days of full-scale war, battlefield monitoring group DeepState reported on Aug. 18.
Russia made significant gains in multiple regions of Ukraine in the first months of the full-scale war. However, 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.
As of Nov. 12, 2022, 108,651 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory were Russian occupation. Nearly three years later, as of Aug. 17, 2025, 114,493 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory is occupied by Russia.
Russian forces made their largest gains in the early days of the full-scale invasion, while Ukrainereclaimed significant ground in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts during its counteroffensives in 2022.
Since then, Russia's advances have slowed but not stopped, with the latest summer campaign bringing over 1,000 square kilometers of new territory under Russian control in June and July.
Overall, together with territories occupied by Russia since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in 2014, about 20% of Ukrainian land is currently under occupation.
Note from the author:
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