Katy Watson
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, BBC / Alba Morgade

For 57-year-old Viktoria, a Kyiv resident originally from the Donbas in the east of Ukraine, the Washington talks were a step in the right direction.

“There are at least some issues in common,” Viktoria tells me.

European leaders and the US reassured Ukraine that security guarantees were a priority. But, Viktoria believes finding peace will be harder.

“The gap between Russian desires and Ukrainian ones is too big,” she says wistfully. “It’s very painful to watch all this happening.”

One of the biggest sticking points is talk of Ukraine giving up land to Russia in return for a halt in fighting.

In the days running up to the talks in Washington, there were reports that Donald Trump would ask Ukraine to cede the Donbas in the east of the country - made up of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Viktoria came to Kyiv last August from Selydove in the Donetsk region - she moved because the front line was getting too close to where she lives but she hopes it’s a temporary move.

“I want to return to Donbas,” she says. “I want to be in my own, Ukrainian Donbas. In a peaceful, native Donbas with [Russian] neighbours - because we live side by side.”

Image source, Getty Images

After Volodymyr Zelensky's trip to the White House with European leaders, Donald Trump said that a possible Putin-Zelensky meeting could now be on the cards.

But what are Putin's demands to end the war?

Trump has already stated Ukraine would not join Nato – and Russia wants that commitment reiterated and ratified. It also wants full control over the Donbas, which would entail Kyiv giving up the land it still holds in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

During their summit in Alaska last week, Putin reportedly presented Trump with a peace offer that would require Ukraine withdrawing from the Donetsk region, in return for Russia freezing the front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Russia claims the Donbas as Russian territory, controlling most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk. It also illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has rejected calls for a ceasefire, and appears to have persuaded Trump, who said he wants to bypass a ceasefire and move directly to a permanent peace agreement after their meeting, in a major shift in position.

Image source, Getty Images

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that any meeting between Russian and Ukrainian leaders must be thoroughly prepared and not for the sake of media coverage.

After meeting Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin to discuss a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.

Speaking on state TV's Rossiya-24 channel, Lavrov says Russia is open to meetings in both bilateral and trilateral formats.

"The key point is that these formats are not pursued for the sake of media coverage or evening broadcasts," Lavrov says.

"Any contacts involving national leaders must be prepared with the utmost thoroughness," he adds.

Katy Watson
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, BBC / Alba Morgade

Ukrainians woke up a bit more optimistic today after talks in Washington which appeared to reinforce European and US support in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security.

“The talks were really important to stop the war,” Kyiv resident Veronyka tells me. “I want my children to live in peace.” But she admits, it’s early days.

There were plenty of promises made, including a potential trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US and Russia – but still, here in Kyiv, few people believe in the motivations of Vladimir Putin.

“I think actions speak louder than words,” she says of implementing security guarantees and achieving a peace deal. “I hope things get better but I’m not sure I trust [Putin].”

For political analyst Mykola Davydiuk, yesterday’s meeting was game-changing, especially compared to what happened in Alaska.

“We received a huge amount of European support which shows Putin that we are not alone and he can’t play against us with his allies,” he tells me. “Putin thought that he won in Alaska but yesterday showed that wasn’t true.”

But Mykola is under no illusions - a road to peace though will be complicated. “Everyone believes in hope,” he adds. “It’s a really important emotion these days.”

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP

Geneva, Budapest, Istanbul? If Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky does hold a peace summit with Vladimir Putin in Europe, it would be their first in-person meeting since 2019, more than two years before Russia's full-scale invasion.

US President Trump discussed it on the phone to Putin mid-way during talks with European leaders on Monday - and said on Truth Social he "began the arrangements for a meeting" between Putin and Zelensky, ahead of a trilateral with him.

So far Russia has not rejected the idea, even though Putin refused a talks offer from Zelensky as recently as May. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has said only that the two men discussed "raising the level of representatives" from two rounds of talks that have taken place in Istanbul which mainly focused on prisoner exchanges.

But the leaders of Germany and France have made positive noises about the talks plan.

Emmanuel Macron has told French TV that it's "more than a hypothesis, it's even the collective will" - and he backs Geneva as a neutral venue.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes they could happen in the next two weeks, and says his expectations were "exceeded" by last night's visit to the White House.

Joe Pike
Political and investigations correspondent

The head of the UK armed forces is travelling to the US today for detailed talks about American involvement in security guarantees.

Sir Keir Starmer has tasked Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Tony Radakin with fleshing out details of measures to protect Ukraine in event of a peace deal.

Image source, EPA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Monday's talks in Washington were "truly a significant step toward ending the war" as well as ensuring security guarantees for Ukraine.

"We are already working on the concrete content of the security guarantees," Zelensky writes on social media.

He says leaders are continuing that coordination today, with discussions ongoing, adding that "we are preparing the relevant formats".

He says national security advisers are also in constant contact now and "there will be security guarantees".

Despite talks at the White House on Monday aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials are reporting fresh attacks launched by Russia overnight.

"Overnight, Russia launched 270 drones, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, into Ukraine. There has been damage to the energy infrastructure and injured civilians," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posts on X.

"This once again demonstrates how critical it is to end the killing, achieve a lasting peace, and ensure robust security guarantees," he adds.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's energy minister says a "massive attack" by Russia overnight on energy infrastructure in the Poltava region caused large-scale fires, as several dozen drones attacked a gas transportation system.

Image source, Andrii Sybiha/X

Image source, EPA

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a virtual meeting of the "coalition of the willing" this morning to update leaders on the outcomes of discussions in Washington and to discuss next steps.

The coalition is a group of nations including the UK, France and Germany that have pledged to protect peace in Ukraine once it is achieved.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says the meeting will discuss security guarantees. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk will also attend, a government spokesperson says.

Meanwhile, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted his disdain for the group on social media.

"The anti-Russian warmongering Coalition of the Willing failed to outplay @POTUS on his turf," he wrote on X.

Much of the discussion about a possible peace deal in Ukraine is around the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, commonly known as the Donbas.

Vladimir Putin reportedly presented Donald Trump with a peace offer in Alaska on Friday that would require Ukraine withdrawing from the Donetsk region, in return for Russia freezing the front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Luhansk is already almost entirely under Russian control. But Ukraine is estimated to have held onto about 30% of Donetsk, including several key cities and fortifications, at a cost of tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives. Both regions – known together as Donbas – are rich in minerals and industry.

Zelensky has said Ukraine would reject any Russian proposal to give up the Donbas, warning it could be used as a springboard for future attacks.

He has also pointed to the country's constitution, which requires a referendum before a change in its territory.

At least 1.5 million Ukrainians have fled the Donbas since Russian aggression began in 2014. More than three million are estimated to be living under Russian occupation. A further 300,000 are estimated to be in the parts where Ukraine still has control.

Read more in our piece about what handing Donbas to Putin would mean for Ukraine.

As we've just reported, Emmanuel Macron has said he wants the next stage of talks between Russia and Ukraine to be held somewhere "neutral", suggesting Geneva.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov says Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have discussed the idea of "continuing direct talks" between Russian and Ukrainian delegations - although a specific location has not mentioned.

"The idea was discussed that it would be worthwhile to explore the possibility of raising the level of representatives from the Ukrainian and Russian sides - that is, those representatives participating in the mentioned direct negotiations," Ushakov says in a video posted on Telegram.

Ushakov says Putin and Trump spokes for 40 minutes after the US president's meeting with Zelensky on Monday, and "the conversation was frank and highly constructive in nature".

Image source, Getty Images

Emmanuel Macron says he wants the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to hold talks in a "neutral country" like Switzerland, adding that he is "pushing for Geneva".

The French president says he wants to see European leaders at the table too, as part of any summit between Zelensky and Putin.

Macron made the remarks in an interview with French broadcaster LCI, confirming work will begin today on drafting a proposal for security guarantees for Ukraine.

"We will bring together the coalition of the willing with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to keep them informed," he said.

"At the same time, we will launch concrete work with the Americans, to see who is ready to do what."

He added: "Ukraine will make the concessions it considers fair and good. This peace cannot be a capitulation, that would be tragic for Ukraine and the Europeans."

Image source, Getty Images

One of the major takeaways from Monday's meeting was Donald Trump saying the US could help guarantee Ukraine's security, if and when the war with Russia ends.

The US has, until now, been reluctant to make any commitment - but Trump said on Monday those security guarantees could be met by European countries in "co-ordination with the United States".

He also said the US would "help" Europe offer protection to Ukraine.

However, detail on what those guarantees could actually look like - and how strong they could be - is still unclear.

Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told CNN over the weekend that Russia had agreed to allow security guarantees equivalent to Nato's Article 5 - which says an attack on one Nato member is considered an attack on all

But Trump said that hadn't been discussed during Monday's meeting.

Volodymyr Zelensky said that security guarantees for Ukraine would be formalised within 10 days. Part of those guarantees include a purchase of $90bn (£66bn) of US weapons.

As we've reported, Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin after meeting Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in the White House on Monday.

Trump wrote that he "began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy.

"After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself."

(As a reminder - a "trilat" refers to a three-way meeting, while a "bilat", or "bilateral", is a meeting between two parties.)

Speaking in Washington, Zelensky said there was no date set for the Putin meeting:

We've got more information now on Russia's attacks on Ukraine overnight, as the White House talks were concluding.

The Ukrainian air force says Russia launched 270 drones, five Iskander-M ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles, stating that the vast majority were intercepted.

The missiles were launched from the Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Rostov and Voronezh regions of Russia, and occupied Crimea, the air force posted on Telegram.

Katy Watson
Reporting from Kyiv

Just hours after peace talks wrapped up in Washington, Russia launched a series of attacks on cities across Ukraine.

It’s a reminder of the reality for millions of people here - living through an active war.

This is why President Zelensky has been pushing for a ceasefire before agreeing to a peace deal.

That is a red line for the Ukrainian leader – and for people here who are witnesses to the effects of the fighting every single day.

While it’s still early days in working out how any security guarantees would look, the people of Ukraine will be buoyed by talks going in the right direction.

And grateful, too, for the support in bringing attention to the human cost of this war.

As Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders were holding talks with Donald Trump, Russian attacks on Ukraine continued.

Russian attacks were reported in Ukraine's Poltava region, cutting power to households and damaging administrative buildings of a local power infrastructure operation, the regional governor said.

No casualties were reported but nearly 1,500 residential and 119 commercial customers were left without power in Lubny district, he said.

Meanwhile in Russia, debris from destroyed Ukrainian drones sparked fires at an oil refinery and a hospital roof in the Volgograd region, the administration of the southwestern Russian region said.

Russia's civil aviation authority said on Telegram that flights in and out of Volgograd were halted for about three hours overnight.

Image source, EPA

What form could a US security guarantee take?published at 06:38 British Summer Time 19 August

06:38 BST 19 August

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

At the heart of any future permanent peace deal between Ukraine and Russia will be some sort of security guarantee, aimed at deterring Russia from attacking Ukraine again.

Up until now, the US has been reluctant to make any commitment in this direction, leaving it up to Britain and France with their so-called "coalition of the willing". But after talks in the White House on Monday, US President Donald Trump said those security guarantees could be met by European nations in "co-ordination with the United States".

So what form could this take? There are broadly four possibilities:

• Boots on the ground - This is considered the least likely. Donald Trump views this war as Europe’s problem. For him to commit ground troops, even in a peacekeeping role, to a conflict he deeply dislikes would take a major about-face
• Air and sea patrols - This is more conceivable. The US has already operated surveillance flights to monitor the course of the war. But there is a world of difference between a non-confrontational reconnaissance flight or maritime patrol and an armed clash with a nuclear power like Russia
• Intelligence - US satellite and aerial intelligence have proved vital in helping Ukraine hold back the advance of Russia’s invading forces. In the event of a peace deal agreed to by all sides, this is one area where the US would probably be happy to assist
• Logistics - Whatever form the UK/French-led "reassurance force" eventually takes in the event of a peace deal, then it’s going to need a lot of logistical support - and this is one non-lethal area that Washington would likely be happy to help with

Image source, Getty Images

President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders arrived at the White House on Monday to meet US President Donald Trump for fresh talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Here are some of the key takeaways.

• A Putin-Zelensky meeting on the cards? Trump said that he had called Putin to arrange bilateral talks between the Russian leader and Zelensky. Following this, there would be a trilateral meeting including Trump, the US president said
• Trump and Europeans disagree over ceasefire - Trump seemed to dismiss the need for a ceasefire before further negotiations to end the war, a stance that drew opposition from European leaders. "I can't imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "So, let's work on that and let's try to put pressure on Russia"
• Trump hints at security guarantees - the US would help guarantee Ukraine's security, Trump said. This is the most decisive he has ever sounded on the issue of security guarantees, which are a key concern for Ukraine. It is not clear what form those would take, with possibilities including foreign troops deployed on the ground, joint air and sea patrols, intelligence sharing or logistical support - more on this from security correspondent Frank Gardner here
• Zelensky launches charm offensive - in a shift from his acrimonious last visit to the White House, Zelensky dialled up the charm today, dressed in a suit, armed with a personal letter from his wife and a flurry of six "thank yous" in the first few minutes of the meeting
• For more on what went down at today's high-stakes meeting, read this story

Putin's acknowledgement of the need for security guarantees in Ukraine, and Trump saying that the US would be involved in those, is "an enormous step forward in terms of gaining peace in Ukraine", Rose Goettemoeller, former Nato deputy secretary general, told the BBC earlier today.

It also comes as "an enormous reassurance to the Nato allies", she added.

"They had been concerned that the US would be removing itself from their defence and now having this reassurance at the highest level is very important."

The Nato summit in June "started the momentum in this direction", Ms Goettemoeller said.

Trump has long accused his European allies of not spending enough on defence and instead relying on the US.

At the summit this year, Nato leaders agreed to raise their military spending to 5% of their GDP - a move hailed by Trump as a "big win".