The seven European leaders who accompanied President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House on Monday made little secret of why they had suddenly interrupted their summer vacations to make the trip. They believed they might need to shield the Ukrainian leader from the disparagement and bullying he had to endure on his last Oval Office in February.

President Donald Trump is holding hastily arranged talks Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a host of European leaders — a rarity at the White House — as he seeks to negotiate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington on Monday. Zelensky said he expects to discuss "key issues" at the meeting. It comes after Trump's Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.