Zelenskyy, Trump hold 'substantive' meeting on Nato sidelines in The Hague; 'Couldn't have been nicer', says US president

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Nato summit in The Hague on Wednesday, in what Kyiv described as a “long and substantive meeting.”

The two leaders discussed a potential ceasefire, as well as additional sanctions on Russia and avenues for arms procurement to support Ukraine’s ongoing war effort, according to officials from the Ukrainian presidency.

A source from Zelenskyy’s office told AFP that the Ukrainian leader was “satisfied” with the outcome of the talks. No further details on the meeting were immediately made public, but it marked a rare face-to-face between the two leaders as Ukraine continues to seek international military and diplomatic backing in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Earlier, Trump had confirmed he would meet Zelenskyy, saying, “We’ll discuss the obvious… He’s a nice guy.” The meeting comes amid growing global attention on Ukraine's stalled counteroffensive, the humanitarian toll of the conflict, and shifting Western attitudes about continued military aid.