Zelensky, European leaders meet Trump as push for Ukraine peace deal continues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accompanied by an extraordinary delegation of European leaders, visited the White House on Monday for a series of meetings with President Donald Trump, as discussions intensified around a potential peace agreement with Russia.
The visit saw Zelensky defending Ukraine’s interests while President Trump pressed for a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict.
The high-level talks, which included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, focused on establishing security guarantees for Ukraine in a post-war scenario. President Trump, meanwhile, advocated for a trilateral meeting involving himself, Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Despite the cordial atmosphere, few tangible signs of immediate progress were made public. Any significant movement towards ending the war would necessitate substantial concessions from Ukraine, a willingness from Russia to cease hostilities, and consistent follow-through from the U.S. administration. Both Chancellor Merz and President Macron stressed the prerequisite of a ceasefire, a condition that Russian President Putin has not yet shown willingness to accept.
Following the White House meetings, President Trump reportedly held a 40-minute phone call with President Putin, whom he had met in Alaska just days prior. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, confirmed the call, stating that both leaders agreed to appoint senior negotiators for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, Ushakov did not confirm Putin’s direct participation in future trilateral discussions.
President Trump indicated his intention to initiate a meeting between Zelensky and Putin at a yet-to-be-determined location, to be followed by a trilateral summit that he would attend. President Zelensky, speaking at a news conference, mentioned discussions around Ukraine purchasing $90 billion in American weapons through Europe and the U.S. buying drones from Ukraine. However, a formal agreement is still pending.
Zelensky, appearing in a black suit instead of his customary military attire, was warmly received by President Trump at the White House. The public exchanges between the two leaders showed a marked departure from previous strained encounters, with Zelensky repeatedly expressing gratitude to Trump.
However, the path to peace remains fraught with challenges. With three and a half years into the conflict, President Zelensky faces the difficult decision of potentially ceding territory for future security assurances or holding firm and risking renewed tensions with the U.S. President Trump, a known skeptic of multilateral alliances and eager for a Nobel Peace Prize, remained vague on the specifics of U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, though he did not rule out the involvement of American troops.
