BBC Pidgin of Monday, 18 August 2025

Source: BBC

Ukraine President Zelensky, European leaders arrive Washington ahead of meeting wit Trump

Ukraine Presisdent Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump Ukraine Presisdent Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump

European leaders don dey arrive for di White House ahead of Ukraine tok wit Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.

Di European leaders go dey for di White House bifor President Zelensky go arrive, wia Trump go greet am for di West Wing entrance.

Zelensky don also land for Washington and im arrival show say im welcome no dey ceremonial like dat of Vladimir Putin for Alaska.

Na three days ago, Trump bin personally greet di Russian leader Putin as e step off im plane to red carpet, while fighter jets dey move ova im head.

Zelensky arrival for Washington dey lowkey but e no mind as di Ukrainian president dey more concerned about how di war for Ukraine go end.

Dis meeting wit Trump fit likely be one of di most important for Zelensky political career.

Dis go be di first time di Ukrainian leader go dey di room since Trump bin humiliate am for February.

US President Trump say Zelensky fit end di war between Russia and Ukraine "if im want to" but im give some conditions.

Meanwhile, di conditions na say Ukraine no go join Nato as part of a peace deal and Ukraine no go fit collect Crimea peninsula back from Russia.

Plenti European leaders don dey land for di White House ahead of di meeting.

Di President of di European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, don arrive for White House. She bin step out of her car wia di chief of protocol Monica Crowley greet her and say e dey "good to see you again".

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer don also arrive wit smiles as e comot im vehicle and enta di White House.

President of Finland Alexander Stubb also pull up to di White House.

Nato chief Mark Rutte bin arrive di White House - na im be di first of di European leaders wey arrive.

Meanwhile, Italy prime minister Giorgia Meloni, also dey for Washington today for di White House summit.

Italy prime minister tok for native Italian language say she dey happy say di proposal for Nato-like security guarantee dey part of today tok.

"We dey on di side of Ukraine, we support di efforts of di president of di United States," she tell reporters.

Who Trump and Zelensky dey bring along to di White House meeting?

Di White House don confam say five US officials go dey present for di room wit Donald Trump wen Volodymyr Zelensky meet di US president for di Oval Office today.

Dem be Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and special envoy Keith Kellogg.

Zelensky go also dey accompanied by Andriy Yermak, im top chief of staff and Rustem Umerov, former defence minister and now head of di National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.