Karoline Leavitt reveals major progress in Ukrainian-Russia peace talks

In a major stage towards the end of the war of years, Russian president Vladimir Putin accepted a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The white house press secretary Karoline Leavitt made this announcement during the Tuesday press briefing. She said that “if necessary”, there could be a trilateral meeting involving the United States after the meeting of Putin and Zelenskyy.

“President Trump spoke with President Putin by telephone, and he agreed to start the next phase of the peace process, a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, who would be followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting between President Putin, President Zelensky and President Trump,” Leavittt said on Tuesday.

Leavitt said that Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff “would continue to coordinate with Russia and Ukraine to happen as soon as possible”, and added later: “I can assure you that the American government and the Trump administration are working with Russia and Ukraine for the American government.”

The White House announced Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Sputnik / Gavriil Grigorov / Pool via Reuters; Brian Snyder / Reuters)

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The announcement comes just one day after Zelenskyy and several European leaders gathered in the White House to debrief after the Trump summit in high issues with Putin in Alaska. Leavitt highlighted Praise of European leaders For Trump who followed the summits of Alaska and DC.

“I think that in the past two weeks, we have probably had more progress at the end of this war than we have done in the past three and a half years,” said Finnish president Alexander Stubb.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoes the feeling and recognized that for three and a half years, “no one could bring it to this point”.

President Donald Trump and European leaders meet for a multilateral meeting at the White House on August 18, 2025. (Reuters / Alexander Draco)

Trump calls the very good stage of the White House to the Peace of Russia-Ukraine: here is the next step

In addition, NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, thanked Trump and credited the president for breaking a “dead end” when it comes to bringing Putin to the table.

Zelenskyy, French president Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also congratulated Trump’s peace efforts.

While European leaders focused on Trump’s ability to end the war, Putin made a statement on how the brutal conflict started.

President Donald Trump salutes Russian President Vladimir Putin when he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. (Images Andrew Harnik / Getty)

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On Friday, during a joint press conference after their meeting, Putin confirmed something that Trump insisted for almost four years – Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump had not lost the 2020 elections.

“I can confirm it,” said Putin at the end of the meter.

This statement left a lot, which Jacqui Heinrich de Fox News wondered what Trump was planning to do to ensure Ukraine’s safety beyond 2028. Heinrich asked Leavitt, who said Trump “understood the need” long-term security guarantees, citing his discussions with European leaders and NATO after the Alaska summit. “