“Again, this was a very early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years,” says Trump; However, many contentious issues would need to be sorted before peace and security can be achieved to end the long going Russia-Ukraine war.
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday talked peace and security at a closed-door meeting in Washington DC. However, many contentious issues would need to be sorted before peace and security can be achieved to end the long going Russia-Ukraine war.
Following his meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump said a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine was attainable. The US would help Europe in providing security to Ukraine as part of any deal to end the war, he also said addressing the media at the White House. Zelenskyy said he was ready to sit down and talk to stop the war, “we need to stop this war, to stop Russia and we need support—American and European partners”.
Trump said he had called Russian President Vladimir Putin and “began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself”
Top European leaders were also present at the meeting that followed Friday’ talks between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Striking a far friendlier note, a big step up from their last meeting, Zelenskyy and Trump expressed hope that the talks at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Putin to bring an end to the war. The meeting in private came six months after their disastrous last appearance when Trump and Vice-President JD Vance gave Zelenskyy a public dressing-down. This time Trump greeted the Ukraine President outside the White House, shaking hands with him and expressed delight at his black suit, a departure from his typical military clothes.
Trump’s take
“I had a very good meeting with distinguished guests, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron, of France, President Alexander Stubb, of Finland, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, of Italy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Friedrich Merz, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, in the White House, which ended in a further meeting in the Oval Office.
“During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with coordination with the United States of America. Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.
“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself. Again, this was a very early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote on Truth Social
European support for Ukraine
Zelenskyy was backed by leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO. According to Zelenskyy, it was important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America. Trump said European countries would be involved. “They are a first line of defence because they’re there, but we’ll help them out
Issues remain
The US President said all would prefer an immediate ceasefire but he was optimistic that an agreement could be reached to deter aggression in Ukraine. He also suggested that he no longer believed reaching a ceasefire was a necessary prerequisite for striking a peace agreement, backing a position staked out by Putin and opposed by Zelenskyy and most European leaders.
Zelenskyy is said to have already all but rejected the outline of Putin’s proposals from the Alaska meeting. They include handing over the remaining quarter of its eastern Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russia. Before the Alaska summit, the Europeans had tried to establish with Trump in joint consultations five points for possible peace talks, including a ceasefire and security guarantees. Ahead of the meeting with Putin, Trump has repeatedly spoken about Ukraine and Russia swapping land to end the war.
