Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House, where he was greeted by his American counterpart Donald Trump.

The two leaders shook hands before Trump invited Zelensky inside for the long-awaited talks on ending the war with Russia.

Earlier, European leaders arrived at the White House ahead of important talks with Trump and Zelensky, aimed at overcoming major differences over a peace agreement with Russia.

The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Finland, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are demonstrating their support for Ukraine, while Trump is pressuring Kiev to make concessions.

Air raid sirens sounded over Kyiv at the same time as the European leaders arrived. Russian strikes overnight killed at least seven people.

After meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, Trump said Ukraine must give up Crimea and its ambitions to join NATO. These are two of Moscow's key demands.

Zelensky will hold a one-on-one meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, the site of a meeting in February when the US president and his deputy Jay DeSantis publicly criticized the Ukrainian head of state.

Later, Trump will meet separately with European leaders.

The 79-year-old Trump said it was "a big day at the White House," but he seemed combative, posting a series of messages on social media.

"I know exactly what I'm doing. And I don't need advice from people who have been working on all these conflicts for years and have never been able to do anything to stop them," the Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform. | BGNES