U.S. President Donald Trump gathered European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a hastily arranged White House meeting on Monday to discuss a path to ending Russia's war in Ukraine.

It was a rare gathering inside the White House. President Donald Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, all in hopes of moving closer to ending the war in Ukraine. "More than anything, we just need peace," Pastor Leo Regheta said. "We just need the war to end."

They are determined to impress upon Donald Trump two things: firstly, that there can be no peace deal for Ukraine without Ukraine's direct involvement and secondly, that it must be backed by "cast-iron" security guarantees.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, alongside several European allies. Trump has urged Zelenskyy to accept a land swap deal with Russia after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

President Trump is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House on Monday. Follow live updates.

As world leaders dash across the Atlantic for crunch talks, what will they and the others present regard as a win?

Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014.