Stuart Lau
Live page editor

Our live page is back with you, as it will be a busy day today in Washington.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has just arrived in the US capital, where he will be joined by several European leaders in a critical White House meeting with Trump on ending Russia's war against his country.

A few hours ago, Trump turned to his Truth Social platform and put further pressure on Zelensky - posting there would be "no going into Nato by Ukraine", and "no getting back" of the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Trump's meeting comes a few days after he met Russia's leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska in front of a backdrop saying "pursuing peace". He appears excited about today's talks, saying: "Big day at the White House [on Monday]. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!"

Zelensky and the European leaders hope Trump will commit to strong security guarantees for Ukraine, in the event of a peace agreement with Russia. A key US envoy said on Sunday that Putin had agreed to a possible Nato-like security pact for Ukraine.

Stay with us as we bring you all the live updates throughout the day.

Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

With less than 24 hours to go before he meets Donald Trump again, Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed the president's "historic decision" to offer Ukraine security guarantees if a peace deal is reached with Russia.

It's unclear exactly what shape this support might take, but Trump envoy Steve Witkoff today suggested the US and its partners could offer "Article 5 like language" - reflecting Article 5 of the Nato agreement that states an armed attack on one member country would be considered an attack on all members.

The so-called "coalition of the willing", too, praised Trump after meeting today, and reiterated its own readiness to deploy a "reassurance force" once immediate hostilities have ceased.

Many of the leaders involved will join Zelensky in the US - our world news correspondent says it's an extraordinary show of diplomatic support for the Ukrainian leader.

But, before America can even deliver on its promise of assistance, there's the not-insignificant matter of agreeing a peace deal with Vladimir Putin first.

Zelensky says he'll once again push for a "trilateral summit" involving the US and Russian leaders as well as himself.

Witkoff also said today that Putin is prepared to make "concessions" on five key territories - however, the Ukrainian leader reiterated that any land swap would be impossible under the Ukrainian constitution.

Before we close our live coverage, there's still a chance to catch up on our correspondents' analysis of Europe's upcoming show of unity in Washington, as well as our who's-who of those flying over.

We'll be back tomorrow to cover the handshakes and talks, but we'll keep our news story updated with the latest developments in the meantime. Thanks for reading.

Arunoday Mukharji
North America correspondent

As diplomatic activity gained momentum in Europe with leaders showing solidarity with the Ukrainian president, the White House is gearing up for the next round of talks after the Alaska summit.

The upcoming meeting with President Volodomyr Zelensky and European leaders is equally high on optics and expectations.

Ahead of Monday’s visit, we have seen two top officials of Donald Trump – Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio, who were both part of talks with Vladimir Putin – clarifying the US position as they navigate this complicated path to peace between Russia and Ukraine.

With memories of President Zelensky’s last visit to the Oval Office and the heated exchange he had with President Trump and Vice President Vance still fresh, there have been concerns that the Ukrainian leader could be bullied into making a deal.

When the question was put to him by CBS in an interview earlier today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a “stupid media narrative”.

Even though President Trump’s Truth Social post from Saturday made no mention of an invite to European leaders, Rubio said “the President invited them to come”.

But given Zelensky will be flanked by his European allies, it's fairly clear, they do not to take any chances and see a repeat of the last incident.

With Zelensky scheduled to visit Donald Trump at the White House tomorrow, lets take a look back at his previous meetings with the US president.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Office of the President of Ukraine

Image source, Getty Images

With several European leaders saying they will be joining Zelensky for his meeting with Trump tomorrow, our correspondents have been looking into the long-term implications of the joint visit - here's some of their analysis:

Lessons learned, relationships repaired

Monday will mark the first time Zelensky is back at the White House since his disastrous exchange with Trump in February, but the Ukrainian leader goes back to the White House not only with European leaders by his side, but coached in the art of flattery and deal making, writes BBC's Kyiv correspondent Joel Gunter.

An unprecedented moment

There's been no other time when so many European leaders - at short notice - have said they would head across the Atlantic, says political correspondent Matthew Cole.

Wartime crisis

This is essentially a wartime crisis, which requires all hands on deck, it's an extraordinary show of support from the European leaders – all there to reinforce the message that Europe has his back and will be heard, says World news correspondent Joe Inwood.

Worry and concern

But at the heart of this extraordinary high-level meeting, shows the level of concern Europe that Trump will help Vladimir Putin defeat Ukraine by backing his demands of straight to a peace agreement, writes the BBC's Russia editor Vitaliy Shevchenko.

Starmer star-power

Political correspondent Jack Fenwick writes that the European leaders hope their presence tomorrow will send a powerful image that Europe is behind Ukraine.

Phrase of the day

Ukraine reiterates security guarantees are a key element for any ceasefire agreement with Russia? Our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams explains why they matter.

Tougher stance needed to rein in Putin

Europe wants to show Trump they are crucial to his peace deal, but can they convince him he has to be tougher on Putin, questions Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse.

Image source, Reuters

We've just received a readout of the virtual meeting the "coalition of the willing" held earlier today.

It says the leaders involved "commended President Trump’s commitment to providing security guarantees to Ukraine".

• As a reminder, US envoy Steve Witkoff earlier said Putin on Friday had agreed to "robust security guarantees", which could see Europe and the US protect Ukraine from further aggression with a Nato-like defence arrangement

The coalition will also play a "vital role", it adds, through the "Multinational Force Ukraine, among other measures".

The group also re-emphasises "the readiness to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased".

The statement finishes by confirming that Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer - who co-chaired the virtual meeting - will attend a meeting with Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington tomorrow.

Image source, Getty Images

Volodymyr Zelensky has called today's "coalition of the willing" meeting "very useful" ahead of tomorrow's White House summit with Donald Trump.

Zelensky says the group is "developing a common view on what a peace agreement should be".

And, after US envoy Steve Witkoff hinted that the US is prepared to commit to security guarantees, Zelensky calls this a "historic decision".

"Security guarantees as a result of our joint work must be truly very practical and provide protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must also be developed with Europe's participation," he writes.

The Ukrainian leader adds that all parties agree state borders must not be changed by force, amid talks of territorial concession offers by the Kremlin.

And, he calls once again for the key issues to be resolved "with Ukraine's participation in a trilateral format: Ukraine, the USA, and the Russian leader".

Image source, Reuters

While we wait to hear more on the meeting of the "coalition of the willing" that took place today, here's a reminder of what some of the other key players have had to say today.

French President Emmanuel Macron

• Told reporters that the group's meeting lasted a little over two hours, and said its plan is to "present a united front" when the leaders meet Trump tomorrow
• The French leader said the war is entering a "decisive phase" and said the group will now press Trump on how far he is prepared to go in terms of security guarantees for Ukraine

US envoy Steve Witkoff

• Told CNN that Russia made "some concessions" around five key territory regions that have been heavily contested by Moscow
• He added that Putin had agreed to "robust" security guarantees - calling these "game changing", without confirming whether they will involve US boots on the ground

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

• Accepted while speaking to US media that it may not be possible for Washington to end the war in Ukraine - and warned that, if so, "people will continue to die by the thousands"
• To get closer to a deal, he said, both sides must be prepared to compromise, as neither is "on the verge of surrender"

Why Kyiv and its European allies worried about America's position ahead of their summitpublished at 18:03 British Summer Time 17 August

18:03 BST 17 August

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring Russia editor, in Washington

Officials in Donald Trump's administration have been speaking about possible territorial "swaps" or "concessions" by Russia - but ultimately they involve Ukrainian territory, so whatever Russia gets to keep will look like rewarding aggression.

Another word that is often heard from Washington is "deal" - but Ukrainians will remember that all of the key agreements with Russia turned out not to be worth the paper they were written on.

These include the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, which had a clause on recognising Ukraine's borders.

In 1997, the two countries signed a Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation, whose Article 2 said the sides "respect each other's territorial integrity and confirm the inviolability of existing borders between them".

That did not stop Russia from invading in 2014.

Numerous subsequent ceasefire agreements also failed, some within minutes of going into effect.

There is also a moral dimension to their concerns.

After hundreds of thousands of deaths resulting from this "special military operation" and numerous atrocities committed by his army, Vladimir Putin received a red-carpet reception in Alaska and was at one point applauded by Trump.

Images of the welcome ceremony were not unexpected, but still sent shockwaves across Ukraine.

Image source, Reuters

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also been speaking to the media about Trump's talks with Putin on Friday. Here's a quick look at what he's said:

• Rubio says it may not be possible for Washington to create a scenario to end the war in Ukraine
• Speaking on CBS's Face the Nation, he adds: "If peace is not going to be possible here and this is just going to continue on as a war, people will continue to die by the thousands … we may unfortunately wind up there, but we don't want to wind up there"
• Rubio also tells the CBS News that both sides would need to make concessions, saying: "If one side gets everything they want, that's called surrender... and neither side here is on the verge of surrender, or anything close to it"

Image source, Getty Images

More reaction now following today's meeting of the "coalition of the willing".

The president of the European Council - who was present for the meeting - says that the EU and US must "increase pressure" on Russia if no ceasefire is agreed.

In a post on X, Antonio Costa writes: "Ukraine’s sovereign right to determine its conditions for peace must be respected."

Costa says he welcomes the US' "willingness to participate in providing security guarantees to Ukraine", adding that it will "deter future Russian aggression".

"Europe stands ready to do its part," he writes.

Image source, Élysée Palace

Asked whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the war in Ukraine to end, Emmanuel Macron says: “No.”

As the French president continues briefing reporters on his call with fellow European leaders and Zelensky, he reiterates that there’s a need for Ukraine to have a strong army.

Discussing tomorrow’s meeting with Donald Trump, Macron says the group will challenge the US president on how far he’s willing to go in terms of security guarantees for Ukraine.

“If we’re not strong today, we’ll pay dearly tomorrow,” he says.

Macron continues, warning that showing weakness now risks “laying the ground for future conflict” - noting what he says is Russia's previous unwillingness to respect peace deals.

He adds it is now time to move to a “new diplomatic phase” to resolve the war in Ukraine.

The French president says the security of Europe is closely linked to the current conflict, and its leaders must be at the negotiating table to best represent their citizens.

Image source, Élysée Palace

French President Emmanuel Macron is speaking to reporters after a call between European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Macron says the group talked for a little over two hours, and spoke about the priorities they plan on discussing during their meeting with US President Donald Trump tomorrow.

The French president says they want to remind Trump "what unites the US, Ukraine and the EU" - citing their shared desire for peace and for Russia to respect "international law and territorial sovereignty".

He says the so-called "coalition of the willing" has reiterated that "we cannot have territorial discussions without the elected representatives of Ukraine".

"Our plan is to present a united front, reiterating who’s on the side of peace and international law," he says.

Joe Inwood
World news correspondent

This is an extraordinary, unprecedented, show of diplomatic support for President Zelensky.

When he travels to the White House tomorrow, he will be accompanied by the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission and Nato – all there to reinforce the message that Europe has his back and will be heard.

Of course, there are regular occasions when multiple heads of state gather in one place, but these are usually for pre-planned events like Nato summits or presidential inaugurations. To have this many leaders assemble for what is essentially a wartime crisis meeting appears to be without modern precedent.

Even during the height of the fight against IS/Daesh, the meetings either took place under the umbrella of other events, or were attended by foreign or defence ministers, as happened at Joint Base Andrews in July 2016.

In 2015, multiple world leaders representing the UK, Germany, Israel, the Palestinians, Mali, the EU and Jordan gathered in Paris to show support after the Islamist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine. The key difference here was that this was about solidarity, rather than crisis diplomacy.

But, the leaders of Europe also travel to Washington with another purpose.

They will want to make sure there is no repeat of the disastrous scenes the last time Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Oval Office. In February, Ukraine’s leader was berated and humiliated by Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance – an event that had real diplomatic and military consequences.

European leaders will hope their presence makes a repeat all but impossible.

With more details emerging of the deal President Trump wants Ukraine to do to secure peace with Russia, including giving up long defended territory, these are potentially perilous days for Ukraine. His travelling companions to Washington have reduced the risks, but they still remain.

Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer

• Last met Trump during the US president's visit to Scotland in July. As he touched down in the UK, Trump told reporters: "I like your PM", and has often praised the much-touted UK-US "special relationship"

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

• Visited the White House in April. The pair famously enjoy a good relationship and have lavished praise on one another in the past. Trump has called her a "fantastic woman" who has "really taken Europe by storm". She was also the only European leader to attend his inauguration in January

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz

• A month after becoming German chancellor, Merz flew to the White House where he curried favour with the president by presenting Trump with a birth certificate for his grandfather Friedrich, who was born in Bavaria

Finnish President Alexander Stubb

• Shares the president's love of golf - the two even played a round together at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida back in March. On the "unofficial" visit, the pair also discussed Ukraine and Finnish relations with the US over lunch

Image source, Instagram/Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron

• Developed an unlikely rapport with Trump during his first presidency, and Macron continued to praise Trump on a White House trip in February - even conceding that Trump was right to establish a relationship with Vladimir Putin

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte

• Famously commended "daddy" Trump's handling of the Israel-Iran conflict, and Trump has praised Nato under Rutte's leadership after its members committed to boost defence spending to 5% of GDP

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

• Has haggled with Trump over his proposed tariffs on the EU. The two met at his Turnberry golf course, where a trade deal between the two was agreed last month. Trump said in response: "It's going to bring us closer together... it's a partnership in a sense"

Image source, SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

While Zelensky and his allies discuss the upcoming meeting with Trump, Putin has been turning to his own close supporters.

Putin held a phone call with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev earlier today to brief them on the meeting with Trump in Alaska.

Lushenko's office says Putin discussed the talks with him "in detail" while Tokaeva congratulated Putin for the "results of the meeting," a statement from the Kazakhstan presidency says, adding that he considers the summit a "breakthrough".

As we've just reported, Russia has offered to make some concessions on territory, according to Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.

This follows news yesterday that Putin reportedly offered to halt his offensive and freeze the front line in Ukraine if Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to hand over control of the eastern Donetsk region to Russia.

Multiple news outlets also reported that Putin has asked Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas, which is made up of Donetsk and Luhansk, more widely.

Now Witkoff suggests that when Trump and Putin met, territorial concessions regarding all five eastern regions where control has been disputed were "at the table".

What do we know about Donbas?

The area has been the source of territorial skirmishes between Ukraine and Russia since 2014.

The Donbas is predominantly Russian-speaking, and after Russia seized Crimea in 2014, its proxy forces gained a foothold there in a war that never came to an end

Just before he launched his invasion in 2022, Putin recognised all of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent from Ukraine, not just the limited statelets created by Moscow-backed proxies.

Freezing the frontline?

Yesterday, multiple outlets including the Financial Times, Bloomberg and Reuters were reporting that Putin told Trump he would end fighting on the rest of the front line in Ukraine if Zelensky hands over full control of the Donbas.

As the map below shows, this would require him to hand over some of the Donbas that Russia has not yet taken control of. This would also include the majority of Zaporizhzia and Kherson to the south - which Russia has captured.

Now, Witkoff says "all five" of these regions were under discussion between Trump and Putin and have always been "at the crux of the deal".

We can now bring you some more remarks from Trump envoy Steve Witkoff's interview with CNN.

Witkoff discussed the issue of territory - and specifically of the five regions he described as always having been the "crux of the deal".

• As a reminder, Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 while the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson were annexed after referendums internationally viewed as shams in 2022

"The Russians made some concessions at the table with regard to all five of those regions," Witkoff says today.

He adds that the Donetsk region constitutes an "important discussion" - and one which he says will happen tomorrow.

"Hopefully we can cut through and make some decisions right then and there on that," Witkoff adds.

Katy Watson
Reporting from Kyiv

Kyiv may be far from the frontline but the war is always in peoples’ mind here.

At the Sunday market in Tatarka, central Kyiv, few people were hopeful that much would come out of Monday’s meeting in Washington DC.

"The signs don’t tell us about good expectations for tomorrow,” said 35-year-old Iryna Levchuk, who was picking fruit at the market with her dog Susy, rescued from the frontline city of Kherson.

The idea of Ukraine doing a deal with Russia by handing over the Donbas region in return for freezing other parts of the frontline is also being given short shrift by people here.

"This won’t work – none of this will work," says Dmitrii (who preferred not to give his surname).

"You've got to explain to the people that they need to negotiate with the terrorists."

His view of the US approach to ending the war is pretty dim too.

"The country that was a very powerful ally is just turning its back on us," he says.