Month: August 2025

President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday afternoon, to continue efforts to end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Zelenskyy last visited the Oval Office in February, in a tense meeting where both Pres. Trump and Vice President JD Vance scolded him for what they described as a lack of appreciation for U.S. military support. Monday’s meeting, however, was far more cordial, with Zelenskyy expressing gratitude to Trump for personally working to end the conflict.

Zelenskyy arrived in Washington alongside a high-profile group of European leaders who traveled to the U.S. to show support for Ukraine following Trump’s recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump described the summit as “productive” but did not announce a ceasefire deal.

Joining Zelenskyy on Monday was European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. A spokesperson for Zelenskyy said that talks are expected to extend into a second day.

After their bilateral session, Trump and Zelenskyy joined European leaders for a broader meeting, where calls for concrete security guarantees for Ukraine dominated the discussion. Trump pledged a new commitment to that goal, though some leaders stressed that a ceasefire must be in place before any negotiations with Moscow could move forward. Nearly all of the leaders echoed the demand for binding security guarantees for Ukraine, with several noting they should closely resemble NATO’s Article 5 protections. While Ukraine is not a NATO member, it has long sought membership—an aspiration that Moscow strongly opposes.

Rutte said to Pres. Trump: “The fact that you’ve said you’re willing to take part in security guarantees is a major breakthrough; it makes all the difference.” Both Macron and Merz, however, argued a ceasefire is essential before progress can be made: “The difficult part is still ahead,” Merz said. “We would all like to see a ceasefire, and I don’t see how a trilateral meeting can happen without one.”

Speaking to reporters, Trump confirmed that the U.S. would play a role in ensuring Ukraine’s security, though he avoided details: “We’re going to be talking about it today, but they will get very strong protection, very strong security,” Trump said, adding that Putin had signaled Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump stopped short of confirming NATO-style obligations, however, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff suggested Moscow had agreed to protections comparable to NATO’s Article 5, which treats an attack on one ally as an attack on all.

Trump also emphasized that Europe must carry most of the responsibility for such guarantees, with the U.S. playing a supporting role. “They are the first line of defense because they’re right there, but we’ll help, and we’ll be part of it.”

Trump also continued to advocate for a direct meeting between himself, Zelenskyy, and Putin. Zelenskyy indicated Ukraine is open to such talks, saying his country is “ready,” with Trump adding, “I think it’s a matter of when, not if.” Trump also confirmed that he would speak directly with Putin once his meetings with Zelenskyy and the European leaders concluded: “We’ll have a phone call right after these talks today,” Trump said. “If we don’t get a trilateral, the fighting continues. But if we do, I think there’s a real chance to maybe end it.” CNN later reported that Trump paused his meeting with Zelenskyy and other European leaders on Monday to speak with Putin. The news was first reported by German newspaper Bild, who reported the talks with European leaders would continue after the call with Putin at the White House.

Editorial credit: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com

A suspect is in custody after two police officers were killed, and a third was injured with his service dog while answering a call to a domestic disturbance Sunday night in a northern city in Utah. No civilians were harmed in the shooting.

Brigham City Police Chief Chad Reyes said at a news conference Monday that the officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call late Sunday in a neighborhood in Tremonton, about 70 miles north of Salt Lake City. Reyes said: “These officers are definitely heroes. We really don’t know what we’re walking into, and they are one of the most dangerous events that we can be dispatched on.” The wounded officer, a sheriff’s deputy, and a police dog who also responded were hospitalized for their injuries.

Police said the officers went to the home after several 911 hang-up calls were made from the home to the Box Elder County Communications Center. A single officer from the Tremonton-Garland Police Department arrived first and was speaking to one of the occupants of the home, who reported a domestic disturbance, when a man came out with a gun.  A news release stated that “the male opened fire on the officer, striking and killing the officer.” A second officer from the department who responded “was immediately fired upon by the same male suspect” and was killed, it further read.

Bystanders persuaded the suspect to put down his weapon after the officers were shot, with SWAT teams responding to clear the home and verify that there was no further threat.  Once additional police arrived, “they were able to locate the subject of the shooting and take him into custody.”  The suspect was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, police said in a news release, and is being held at the Box Elder County Jail.

Police Chief Reyes said the wounded deputy was treated at a hospital and released, and the officer’s service dog was taken to a veterinary clinic and was listed in good condition.

Editorial credit: Tudoran Andrei / Shutterstock.com

European and NATO officials announced Sunday that they will accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington for high-level discussions with President Trump, signaling strong backing for Ukraine after Trump’s recent one-on-one summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Numerous European leaders confirmed they would stand alongside Zelenskyy when he meets with Trump at the White House on Monday. The coordinated move appears aimed at preventing a repeat of the tense Oval Office meeting in February, when Trump harshly criticized Zelenskyy during their talks.

The joint appearance underscores Europe’s commitment to Ukraine and reflects worries that Kyiv could be pressured into accepting a peace plan Trump has expressed interest in brokering with Moscow. European leaders want to ensure they have a seat at the table as these discussions unfold. It remains uncertain whether all of the European leaders will sit in on Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy or whether some will participate only in side discussions.

Zelenskyy addressed the ongoing talks in a post to Telegram, saying: “We see that Russia rejects numerous demands for a ceasefire and still has not determined when it will stop the killings. This complicates the situation. If they have no will to implement a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort for Russia to develop the will to implement much more, namely peaceful life with neighbors for decades. But we all work together for peace and security. Stopping the killings is a key element of ending the war.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on X that she will attend the talks at Zelenskyy’s request. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is also confirmed to join, according to his office.  In addition, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said he will travel to Washington “alongside President Zelenskyy,” though it did not confirm his direct involvement in the White House meeting. Similarly, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be part of the European delegation, but his office did not clarify if he will join the talks with Trump.

Appearing on Face the Nation Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio pushed back on the idea that European officials were primarily coming to Washington to shield Zelenskyy from unfavorable terms: “These meetings have been in the works for weeks. They’re not coming here suddenly because of what happened before. They were invited by the president, and they’re here because it was planned.” Rubio added that while the Trump-Putin summit last week didn’t yield a breakthrough, there was enough progress to justify moving forward. “We’re not on the verge of a peace agreement, but there was movement — enough to warrant further discussions with Zelenskyy and our European partners, and enough for us to devote more time to this process.”

Editorial credit: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com

Multiple gunmen remain at large after three people were killed and another nine were hospitalized with injuries in an overnight shooting at a nightclub in Brooklyn, New York.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference that calls came in at 3:27 a.m. reporting a shooting at the Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood, and officers were on the scene in minutes. Tisch told reporters: “What we know preliminarily is that there was a dispute inside the crowded club that led to the shooting. We believe that there were up to four shooters involved in this incident. It’s a terrible thing that happened this morning, and we’re going to investigate to determine what went down.”

Three men, ages 19, 27 and 35, died from gunshot wounds, with those injured ranging in age from 19 to 61 and transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.  Police said they recovered 42 shell casings from the scene, from 9 mm and .45-caliber guns. A firearm was recovered in the vicinity, but it is not yet clear if it was used in the incident.

There were up to four shooters involved, though no arrests were made as of midday Sunday. No suspects are in custody, and city officials urged the public to come forward with any information related to the shooting, which is believed to have been gang-related.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams expressed concern that there could be retaliatory attacks following the shooting, and called on the public to come forward with information about the shooting: “Gun violence of this magnitude, it really scars a community and a city. If you were inside the club, if you heard individuals talking about shooting, if you witnessed something fleeting the location, every piece of information would allow us to put the puzzle together to solve this crime.”

Taste of the City Lounge said on social media that they were “devastated” by the shooting and was keeping the injured and the families of the deceased in its prayers:  “The safety and well-being of our guests and community has always been our top priority. We are working closely with law enforcement and will continue to fully cooperate as the investigation moves forward.”

Editorial credit: onemoreimage / Shutterstock.com