President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders at the White House on Monday, Aug. 18 following his one-day Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The coalition of European leaders, all longtime supporters of Ukraine amid its war with Russia, traveled to Washington, DC, as a group to shore up Zelenskyy's position, as Trump continues to push for a peace deal to end the more than three-year-long war.

Here is what to know about the group of foreign leaders that accompanied Zelenskyy on his trip to the White House on Aug. 18.

Who were the leaders joining Zelenskyy at the White House?

The European leaders joining the meeting were United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, President of the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Who is British Prime Minister Keir Starmer?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the country's fourth prime minister in less than two years, stepped into office July 2024. His election was a landslide for the Labour Party, ejecting the Conservatives from power after five consecutive Conservative prime ministers held Downing Street.

The UK has been a leading supporter of Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion, and it is one of the leading donors of military assistance to Ukraine, alongside the U.S. and Germany, according to a recent briefing from the House of Commons Library. The UK has pledged more than $16 billion in aid since the war began, as of the June 2025 report, of which $10 billion is for military aid.

In a statement released ahead of the Aug. 18 summit, Starmer reaffirmed the UK's support of Ukraine, threatening increased sanctions on Russia in response to the ongoing war. "Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes," he said.

Who is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni?

Giorgia Meloni has been Italy's prime minister since October 2022. She is Italy's first female prime minister and the country's first far-right leader since World War II.

Italy is one of six founding members of the EU and it's the bloc’s third-largest economy. In the past, Italy has played a valuable role as a bridge between Europe and antagonistic governments in Russia and China, and in some Middle Eastern nations. As with most of EU member states, and similiar to the five other leaders joining her in Washington, DC, Aug. 18, Italy has been a steadfast ally of Ukraine throughout the war.

In a joint statement following Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, Aug. 15, Meloni joined several other EU leaders in a pledge to support Ukraine, saying the nation must have "ironclad" security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity in any peace negotiations.

"Our support to Ukraine will continue. We are determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong in order to achieve an end to the fighting and a just and lasting peace," the Aug.. 16 statement said.

Who is French President Emmanuel Macron?

France's president Emmanuel Macron has led the country since May 2017, and cruised into a second term in 2022 against Marine Le Pen, a far-right populist who attacked the European Union and NATO, and expressed support for Russia.

In the early days of the war, Macron fashioned himself as one of Europe's key mediators in the burgeoning conflict, and attempted to establish dialogues with Putin to end the war, though they proved unsuccessful. As of late, Macron has taken a leading role in Europe's push to keep Trump from legitimizing Putin and rewarding the Russian invasion with a hurried deal to end the Ukraine war.

Macron was the first European leader to visit the White House since Trump's return to office earlier this year.

Who is German Chancellor Friedrich Merz?

Among the four European heads of state who have descended on the White House for the talks, Friedrich Merz is the newest to office, after winning election in May 2025. He is the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party, and heads Europe's largest state economy.

Germany's decision to send military aid to Ukraine in 2022 marked a significant reversal in the country's long-standing position of never sending offensive weapons to conflict zones. Among European nations, it is among the top providers of aid to Ukraine. According to a May 2025 report from the German government, this aid includes equipment and weapons such as air defense systems, combat vehicles, artillery systems, armored transport vehicles, small arms, and ammunition, as well as other types of support, including medical supplies and clothing. Between the start of the year and May 2025, the report says total German aid to Ukraine exceeds $50 billion.

Who is Finnish President Alexander Stubb?

Alexander Stubb is the president of Finland, making him the only leader at the White House meeting representing a nation that borders Russia. He was elected in February 2024, roughly a year after the country joined NATO. A member of the conservative National Coalition Party party, he previously served as the prime minister, finance minister, foreign minister, trade, and Europe minister of Finland.

Finland has committed more than $4 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began, according to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Who is European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen?

Ursula von der Leyen has been president of the European Commission since 2019, and is the first woman to hold the post. She was a lawmaker in Germany prior to taking the position, serving in Germany's legislature and as Federal Minister of Defence, among other roles. In her capacity as president, she manages the organization of the European Commission, including on matters of policy, and often represents the body in international meetings and summits.

It's the second meeting von der Leyen has had with the U.S. president in as many months, following a July 27 meeting at one of Trump's luxury golf courses in Scotland, where they reached a U.S.-EU trade deal.

"Since the beginning of Russia's brutal invasion, Europe has been at Ukraine's side, united, and we will support you for as long as it takes for a just and lasting peace," she said in an Aug. 16 statement following a meeting with Ukraine's president. "And this peace must be achieved through strength."

Who is NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte?

Mark Rutte is NATO's secretary-general. He took office in October 2024 and was formerly Prime Minister of the Netherlands from October 2010 to July 2024.

NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance with two North American countries – the U.S. and Canada – and 28 European countries. Founded in 1949 after the end of World War II, NATO is the “largest peacetime military alliance in the world,” according to the U.S. Department of State. Ukraine is not a NATO member, but a NATO partner country, which means that it cooperates closely with NATO but it is not covered by the security guarantee in the Alliance’s founding treaty. The prospect of joining NATO is a major sticking point in potential peace talks, with Ukraine wanting the security alliance and Russia strongly opposing it, with Putin long considering NATO's existence and its continued growth as a threat.

Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY; Reuters.

Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who are the European leaders meeting with Trump and Zelenskyy?

Reporting by Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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