The White House asked Ukrainian officials in advance whether President Volodymyr Zelensky would wear a suit for his 18 Aug. Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to an Axios report that cited two people familiar with the planning. Zelensky initially met Trump’s special envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, in Washington wearing a black T-shirt, but later arrived at the White House in a black suit-style jacket and button-down shirt—an outfit made by Kyiv designer Viktor Anisimov. The change marked a departure from the military attire Zelensky has favored since Russia’s 2022 invasion. During a brief media spray, reporter Brian Glenn—who had questioned Zelensky’s lack of formal wear in February—told him he looked “fabulous in that suit.” Trump echoed the compliment, and Zelensky quipped that the reporter was “in the same suit” as before, drawing laughter and underscoring the lighter tone compared with the pair’s contentious February encounter. Advisers on both sides said the more formal look was intended to set a conciliatory atmosphere for high-stakes talks on ending the war with Russia, which were also attended by several European leaders. While the substance of the negotiations remained confidential, the wardrobe shift became a symbolic gesture of rapprochement after months of strained personal dynamics between the two presidents.

The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, with the discussions set to include several senior U.S. officials. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg are scheduled to attend the meeting, according to multiple statements from a White House official carried by U.S. media outlets. Members of Zelenskyy’s delegation—among them the head of the presidential office, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, and a deputy foreign minister—were seen arriving at the White House carrying maps. Trump later said Vance, Rubio and Witkoff are coordinating with both Russia and Ukraine ahead of the talks, underscoring the high-level nature of the meeting.

The White House said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will brief reporters at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, the first official update since President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders for talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. Tuesday’s briefing is expected to focus on the next steps in the administration’s peace initiative, including a prospective meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin that Trump has said he is working to arrange. The administration has not yet disclosed a date or location for that encounter. Monday’s discussions at the White House followed Trump’s separate meeting with Putin in Anchorage last week, after which the U.S. president said Moscow had signaled willingness to consider security guarantees for Kyiv backed by European partners. Leavitt is likely to face questions on the substance of those assurances and on the role the United States and European nations would play in monitoring any agreement.

The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump’s previously planned one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, will instead be held in a three-on-three format. Trump will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, according to a pool report confirmed by press secretary Karoline Leavitt. The Kremlin earlier told Russia’s RIA news agency that Putin would also bring aides, although their names have not been released. The adjustment comes hours before the leaders convene at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for talks expected to centre on Russia’s war in Ukraine and broader U.S.–Russia relations. A larger working lunch with additional U.S. officials is scheduled to follow. By expanding the format, Washington hopes to add structure and transparency to the high-stakes encounter, the first in-person meeting between the two presidents since 2019.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte arrived at the White House in Washington on Monday for hastily arranged talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a group of European leaders. Pool footage carried by Reuters showed Rutte entering the executive mansion shortly after 12:15 p.m. local time. The meeting was organized within days of Trump’s separate encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday, and officials have yet to release details of the agenda or expected outcomes.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will host its first-ever mixed martial arts fight event at the White House on July 4, 2026, coinciding with the United States' 250th anniversary of independence. UFC President Dana White confirmed the event, stating it is "definitely going to happen" and will be broadcast live on CBS. The event is being organized in collaboration with former President Donald Trump, who expressed interest in staging the fight on the White House grounds with an audience of up to 20,000 spectators. The fight night will take place on the South Lawn of the White House and marks a historic first for the venue. Plans for the event are expected to be finalized later this month.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb arrived at the White House on Monday for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, marking Stubb’s first visit to Washington since taking office. The meeting is expected to concentrate on efforts to end the war in Europe. Speaking to reporters, Stubb said, “I think in the past two weeks, we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three and a half years,” and added that the parties are working toward a trilateral meeting aimed at securing a lasting peace. Stubb noted that Finland’s 800-mile border with Russia gives Helsinki a stake in the negotiations and positions the country to help mediate between the combatants. The White House did not immediately release further details of the agenda or any planned announcements.

The U.S. Secret Service said it will run a routine threat-response drill at the White House on Friday while President Donald Trump is in Anchorage, Alaska, for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The exercise is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern Time and could involve simulated gunfire, the agency said. Neighbourhood residents have been advised not to be alarmed; some sidewalks around the executive mansion will be closed, although roads are expected to remain open. The training comes amid heightened scrutiny of presidential security following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year that wounded Trump and killed one spectator, as well as a separate attempt at a golf course in September. The Secret Service has stepped up training and other protective measures in the wake of those incidents.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration will move away from providing what she called “blank checks” to fund military conflicts overseas. Speaking on Tuesday, Leavitt stated that the President, who took office in January, has directed officials to scrutinize defense-aid packages more closely to ensure they are “sensitive to the needs of the American taxpayer.” Leavitt added that the White House has reached an agreement under which NATO members will purchase additional U.S.-made weapons, a change intended to shift more of the financial burden to European allies while supporting domestic defense manufacturers. She did not disclose the volume or value of prospective orders, nor did she specify which conflicts might see reduced U.S. funding.

The White House said a planned luncheon between U.S. and Russian delegations in Anchorage, Alaska, was called off on Friday. The announcement came shortly after Kremlin officials confirmed that broader talks in the city had concluded. President Donald Trump will depart Alaska and return to Washington immediately, according to U.S. officials. Neither side provided an explanation for the abrupt cancellation or details on any progress made during the discussions that preceded it.

Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, has publicly accused California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of being "guilty of crimes against humanity" for allegedly facilitating child trafficking and sex trafficking. Miller emphasized that Newsom and Bass preside over the largest sanctuary state and city in the United States, respectively. He further warned that sanctuary city officials, including those in Boston, could face criminal charges and revocation of federal funds if they fail to comply with President Trump's directives to turn over individuals deemed threats to public safety. Miller also criticized sanctuary city mayors for releasing illegal alien child predators by ignoring detainer requests, forcing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to spend weeks locating these individuals.

The White House has invited Indiana Republican state lawmakers to a meeting at the White House on August 26 to encourage them to redraw the state's congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections. This initiative is part of a broader push by the White House to influence mid-decade redistricting efforts in Indiana, where GOP lawmakers have shown some resistance. More than four dozen Indiana lawmakers, including State House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Rodric Bray, have agreed to attend the meeting, with only two lawmakers declining the invitation so far. White House officials are actively calling individual lawmakers to increase pressure for support on the redistricting plan. This effort is occurring amid ongoing internal dynamics within the Republican Party in the region.