The U.S. President said discussions focused on security guarantees for Ukraine, and added that a trilateral session, including him, could follow.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he has begun arranging a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following talks at the White House on Monday with European leaders.
Trump hosted Zelenskyy and a group of European heads of state and government, days after his summit with Putin in Alaska ended with a path to ending the longstanding Russia-Ukraine war.
French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte all attended the Washington meeting.
Trump said discussions centered on security guarantees for Ukraine that the U.S. and European allies would coordinate.
“Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” Trump posted on Truth Social. He added that Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine on next steps.
At the conclusion of the talks, Trump said he called Putin to begin making arrangements for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy “at a location to be determined.” He added that after such a bilateral session, a trilateral session would follow, involving him alongside the two presidents.
During the day, Trump was caught on a hot mic telling Macron: “I think he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal for me. You understand that? As crazy as that sounds,” seemingly about Putin, according to a BBC report.
Trump also downplayed the need for a ceasefire before negotiations, saying, “I don’t know that it’s necessary.”
European leaders pushed back, with Merz saying, “I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire. So, let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia.” Zelenskyy, for his part, did not reiterate his previous calls for an immediate ceasefire.
Trump said the United States would play a role in ensuring Ukraine’s security, telling reporters: “We’ll give them good protection.” He stopped short of ruling out a U.S. military presence in Ukraine but said Europe would remain the “first line of defence.”
Zelenskyy told reporters that security guarantees would include a $90 billion U.S. arms package, featuring aviation and anti-missile systems, and a U.S. commitment to buy Ukrainian drones to help fund local production.
He said the details could be worked out within 10 days.
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