On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that discussions are in progress for a meeting between Vladimir Putin of Russia and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. This announcement came after Trump had a phone call with Putin, concluding a day filled with important discussions between Zelensky and European leaders in Washington, D.C.
“I had a very productive meeting with respected guests,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform following the multi-nation talks at the White House, which included Zelensky, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and the leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland. “Everyone is very optimistic about the potential for PEACE between Russia and Ukraine.”
Trump mentioned that he had spoken to Putin to start organizing a meeting with Zelensky “at a location yet to be decided,” after which a trilateral meeting involving himself would take place. He added that Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff would coordinate with Russia and Ukraine to plan the upcoming talks.
Later, Zelensky informed reporters that he is “open to a meeting with Putin,” calling the discussions at the White House “the best” he has had with Trump. “I was able to present many details, even on a map, to all American colleagues about the battlefield situation,” he stated.
While there was no immediate confirmation from Moscow regarding a potential meeting between the two countries’ leaders, AFP reported that a source close to Trump’s call with Putin indicated that the Russian leader expressed his willingness to engage in direct talks with Zelensky.
Earlier in the day, European leaders showed support for Trump when he mentioned that Ukraine could receive security assurances as part of a potential peace agreement with Russia. They noted that such steps might reshape the security dynamics of the continent and could press both Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate terms for ending the conflict.
“President Putin acknowledged that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine. This is a crucial aspect that needs our attention at the negotiation table,” Trump stated, referring to his recent meeting with Putin in Alaska. “I believe European nations will bear much of the responsibility, and we will assist them in ensuring security.”
Each leader at the hastily arranged meeting commended Trump for his efforts to mediate peace in Ukraine and emphasized the significance of security guarantees as the basis for any settlement between Moscow and Kyiv.
“When we discuss security assurances, we are talking about the security of the entire European continent, which is why we stand united here with Ukraine,” French President Emmanuel Macron remarked, adding that European countries are “aware” of their responsibilities in maintaining such guarantees.
Once opening statements were delivered, discussions continued privately. Reports indicated that Trump temporarily paused the meeting to take a phone call with Putin, though U.S. officials denied these claims to Fox News. The Kremlin later confirmed that the call occurred after the White House session and lasted around 40 minutes.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov mentioned to state media that the idea was raised to potentially elevate the level of the Ukrainian and Russian representatives involved in direct dialogues, likely alluding to a forthcoming meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Ushakov highlighted that Putin “reiterated the importance of Trump’s personal contributions to finding resolutions that could facilitate a long-term resolution in Ukraine.”
Earlier that day, Zelensky, dressed in a black suit and dress shirt, was warmly welcomed at the White House by Trump, who celebrated with a fist pump before shaking hands with the Ukrainian leader. When asked by reporters if he wanted to say anything before the meeting, Trump simply remarked: “We love them.”
Before the broader discussions with European leaders, Zelensky and Trump had a private one-on-one meeting where they addressed the media in the Oval Office. During their conversation, Trump expressed skepticism about one of Ukraine’s primary demands—that current peace talks should focus on achieving an immediate ceasefire.
“I don’t think a ceasefire is necessary,” Trump informed reporters. “While it might seem beneficial, I can also comprehend why one side or the other might oppose it. You set up a ceasefire, and they rebuild continuously. Perhaps they do not wish for that.”
The discussions involving Trump, Zelensky, and European officials occurred just days after the American president’s short summit with Putin in Alaska, where the Russian leader reportedly outlined his conditions for signing a peace agreement with Ukraine.
Though the specifics of these conditions remain unclear, multiple reports suggest that they depend on Kyiv relinquishing claims to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, including areas that are not currently under Russian control.
Trump previously stated that “some land exchanges are likely.” Furthermore, he urged Ukraine to relinquish the annexed Crimea and abandon its aspirations to join NATO, both of which are key conditions from Putin.
Ukraine has consistently rejected conceding its territory to Russia as a precondition for peace, yet White House officials are likely anticipating new Russian concessions could encourage Kyiv towards some form of resolution with Moscow.
Trump’s immediate goal seems to be orchestrating a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin, and Zelensky. Both U.S. and Ukrainian leaders had previously pushed for this without success. Without immediate concessions from Ukraine, it’s unlikely Putin would consent to such discussions due to his repeated questioning of Zelensky’s legitimacy as president.
“If we don’t organize a ‘trilateral,’ the fighting will persist,” Trump stated to reporters in the Oval Office alongside Zelensky earlier on Monday. “I believe if we have a ‘trilateral,’ there’s a significant chance we could potentially conclude [the conflict].”
In a CNN interview on Sunday, special envoy Witkoff mentioned that the U.S. and Russia had concurred on a framework for security guarantees for Ukraine, representing a major shift in Moscow’s acceptable terms for ending the ongoing conflict, which began in February 2022.
“We reached an agreement where the United States and other European nations might effectively propose ‘Article 5-like wording’ to provide a security guarantee,” Witkoff noted, referring to NATO’s collective defense clause.
Trump briefed Zelensky on his conversation with Putin during an hour-long phone call aboard Air Force One after the Alaska summit. Facing likely intense pressure to meet Moscow’s demands, Zelensky privately consulted with European allies dubbed the “coalition of the willing” over the weekend to prepare for his engagement with Trump.
Later that Monday, The Financial Times, referencing a document it had obtained, reported that Ukraine would commit to purchasing $100 billion worth of American weaponry with European financing as part of a strategy to secure security guarantees after reaching a peace deal with Russia. According to that proposal, Washington and Kyiv would also establish a $50 billion agreement to manufacture Ukrainian drones.
Zelensky confirmed the arms deal after his meeting at the White House, stating it would total $90 billion. He also mentioned that Ukraine and its allies would formalize the terms of the security guarantees within the next 10 days.
