US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and seven European leaders on Monday at the White House. The meeting came after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Alaska Summit last week. This was Trump and Zelenskyy’s second meeting at the Oval office this year and as was visible, the mood was very different from their February meet, when Zelensky was pushed out of the White House after a tense exchange.
Trump held separate talks with Zelensky and also joined a larger meeting with the European leaders.
The US President said that he was open to helping Europe enforce any peace deal in Ukraine. Zelenskyy thanked him and appeared in more formal clothing this time. Vice President JD Vance, however, appeared to remain silent.
The main aim of these discussions was to find ways to end the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for more than three years now since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Let’s look at the key takeaways rom the meeting:
Zelenskyy strikes friendlier tone
After a tense visit to the Oval Office in February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck a friendlier tone this time. He repeatedly expressed gratitude during the opening minutes of the meeting, clearly in an effort to charm his American hosts.
Back in February, Zelenskyy had faced criticism from Vice President JD Vance, who felt he was not thankful enough for US support. His choice of clothing had also become a point of controversy. Then, he had worn his usual military outfit, which some saw as inappropriate.
This time, Zelenskyy arrived in a dark suit and seemed ready with light humor when asked about his appearance. “As you see, I changed,” Zelenskyy said. His response drew laughter from Trump, the officials in the room, and the press.
Zelenskyy also tried to create a more personal connection, handing Trump a letter from his wife Olena Zelenska for First Lady Melania Trump, noting that the message was meant for her.
European leaders praise Trump
European leaders also used the moment to praise Trump’s role in bringing them together for the talks. NATO chief Mark Rutte and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni credited him for moving the peace process forward, suggesting that Moscow’s stance seemed to be shifting.
Still, the Europeans were careful to underline their own concerns. French President Emmanuel Macron reminded everyone that any security guarantees for Ukraine were closely tied to the safety of the entire European continent.
Zelenskyy asks for full US support
When asked what the Ukrainian President needed from the United States to secure his country, Zelenskyy answered that he needed everything, from troops, weapons, intelligence, and training, to stand against Russia.
For Ukraine, a steady supply of weapons is critical, but the possibility of US troops on the ground would be a far stronger signal to Russia. Yet such a move would come with serious risks, including the chance of direct clashes between American and Russian forces.
Trump signals stronger stance on Ukraine but avoids firm troop commitment
Trump stopped short of promising American soldiers on the ground. When asked directly if US security guarantees could mean deploying troops in Ukraine, he left the possibility open but gave no clear answer. He described Europe as the first line of defense but said that US will be involved and that they’ll “give them good protection.”
There’s no doubt that the statement marked Trump’s most forceful stance so far on security guarantees for Ukraine. He also said that during his Alaska summit last week, Putin had agreed that such guarantees would be part of any peace deal. Still, Trump gave no details on what these guarantees would actually include.
Trump on ceasefire: ‘I don’t think that’s necessary’, European leaders push back
Alongside the European leaders, Trump played down the need for a ceasefire, before negotiations to end the war could begin. However for Ukraine, a ceasefire has long been seen as an essential first step before any serious talks with Russia begin. In fact, declaring a ceasefire would be easier to secure in the short term, as compared to the full agreement, which could take months while the war drags on.
Trump again highlighted several international conflicts that he claims he helped stop this year, noting that those were resolved without formal ceasefires being agreed first.
European leaders, though, were not convinced. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly pushed back, saying that any future meeting would be hard to imagine without a ceasefire in place and stressed the need to increase pressure on Russia.
What remains uncertain is whether Kyiv still insists on a ceasefire as a precondition for talks. When asked to respond, Zelenskyy avoided repeating his earlier demands for one.
Trump pauses meeting with Zelenskyy, EU leaders to dial Putin
According to a CNN report, Trump called Putin after briefly pausing his meeting with the Ukrainian President and the European leaders. The call was just between the two leaders and the European leaders were not included in that call.
A European official told CNN that Trump stepped out from the talks in order to phone Putin, and that the discussions were resumed afterwards. The first report on this news came from a German newspaper Bild.
According to CNN, the Kremlin described the call as open and constructive. Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said the conversation lasted about 40 minutes, during which Trump updated Putin on his earlier talks with the European leaders.
The Kremlin also said Putin voiced support for direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Trump to hold trilateral meet with Zelenskyy and Putin
Trump took to Truth Social after the meeting and stated that he has already started working on arranging a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added that he spoke about this plan with Putin during a phone call while the talks with the Europeans were going on.
“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,” Trump said. He further added that after the two leaders’ bilateral meet, the US President will hold a trilateral meeting. “After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump added.
Later, at a press conference, Zelenskyy said Russia had suggested first holding a one-on-one meeting with Ukraine, followed by a three-way meeting that would include Trump. Zelenskyy said he is open to meeting Putin in any format.
Putin agrees on meeting with Zelenskyy in two weeks
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the media after the meeting that both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed to set up a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents within the next two weeks.
Merz confirmed that Trump called Putin and the two leaders agreed to move forward with the meeting. According to Merz, Trump was impressed that the Europeans arrived with a united position. He said the discussions with the US will now focus on the details of security guarantees for Ukraine. The German chancellor also stressed that all of Europe should be involved in this process and welcomed Trump’s pledge that the US is ready to support them.
Ukraine boundary talks left for future meeting
Zelenskyy said he spent a long time talking with Trump in the Oval Office over a map that showed areas of Ukraine captured by Russia. But, according to NATO’s chief, the idea of changing Ukraine’s borders was not part of the discussion. Leaders agreed that any talks on territory would be for Zelenskyy to take up directly with Russia, possibly at a future three-way meeting that could also include Trump.