US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders at the White House on Monday to deliberate on a potential peace framework to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
According to the US Department of Defence, the discussions were held in two parts — first a bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, followed by a wider session with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
The talks followed Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15, where, Trump said, Putin had signaled readiness to consider security guarantees for Ukraine.
“The Alaska Summit made me realise that while difficult, peace is within reach. In a significant development, President Putin agreed to accept security guarantees for Ukraine, a key point we must consider,” Trump said, while also suggesting possible territorial adjustments along the current line of conflict.
Trump clarified that the US would be part of Ukraine’s security framework, though he did not specify whether this would involve deployment of American troops. He added that peace could be negotiated without a formal ceasefire.
“Ultimately this is a decision for President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. I believe a peace agreement is attainable and could be done in the near future,” Trump said, adding that he intends to push for a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy welcomed the talks, thanking Trump and allied leaders for their support.
“The security in Ukraine depends on the United States and those leaders who are with us. All of us want to finish this war… It is very important that the US gives such strong signals and is ready for security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.
European leaders expressed cautious optimism. NATO chief Mark Rutte praised Trump for “breaking the deadlock” with Putin, calling the US involvement in guarantees “a breakthrough.” Italian PM Giorgia Meloni said the dialogue marked a “new phase” after years of stalemate, while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted the importance of discussions on “Article Five-like security guarantees.”
Trump indicated that talks would also need to address territorial compromises and negotiating positions, based on the realities of the war zone.
Despite uncertainties, the meetings were widely seen as a first step toward reviving diplomacy, with Trump stressing his ultimate goal: “We want to save a lot of people from dying.”
