US President Donald Trump said Russia has agreed to accept security guarantees for Ukraine during a televised meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European partners at the White House after holding one-on-one meetings with Zelensky today and Russian leader Vladimir Putin last week.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Finnish PM Alexander Stubb attended the unprecedented historic gathering in Washington on Monday.
“Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is one of the key points that we need to consider,” Trump said.
“I’m optimistic that we can reach an agreement that would deter any future aggression against Ukraine.”
“And I actually think there won’t be,” he added. “It’s largely overrated, but we’re going to find out.”
Security guarantees have been one of Kyiv’s requirements for peace since peace negotiations began, but the White House has regularly questioned the need for guarantees if Ukraine has US support.
Territorial concessions by Kyiv in exchange for peace from Russia are an option, Trump said.
“We also need to discuss the possible exchange of territory, taking into consideration the current line of contact.”
But a ceasefire was no longer a top consideration, the twice-impeached president said.
“All of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace,” Trump said. “Maybe something like that could happen, but as of this moment, it’s not happening.”
Seated at a large table with the allies, Trump said he and his allies would discuss the “war lines” and possible concessions that would make ending the war “very attainable,” along with another summit.
“We will try to get a three-party meeting, maybe as soon as we can,” Trump said.
Despite meeting with Putin on Friday without Kyiv at the negotiation table, Trump said that all final negotiation decisions could “only be made by President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine.
“Also in agreement with President Putin,” he added, as Zelensky could be seen looking into the distance.
“We’re really honored you guys came over,” Trump said, referencing the European delegation seated around the table.
Zelensky called their meetings today “very good” and said that they discussed security guarantees. “The security in Ukraine depends on the US and those leaders who are with us, in their hearts,” he said.
NATO head Rutte echoed Zelensky’s words, thanking Trump for his recent openness towards providing Ukraine with security guarantees.
“If we play this well, we could end this,” Rutte said. “And we have to end this, we have to stop the killing, we have to stop the destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure.”
EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen agreed that the group’s purpose was to “stop the killing,” and thanked both Trump and Zelensky for prioritizing Ukraine’s missing children in ongoing talks.
“As a mother and grandmother, every single child has to go back to their families,” she said. “This should be one of our main priorities.”
Germany’s Merz thanked the delegation before warning them that there were still many challenges to come.
“The next steps ahead are the more complicated ones now. The path is open,” he said, before telling Trump directly, “You opened it last Friday.”
“We all would like to see a ceasefire, the latest from the next meeting on. I can’t believe the next meeting will take place without a ceasefire,” he emphasized.
“You can count on Italy… we are on the side of Ukraine,” Italy’s Meloni said during her introduction. “We will work on security guarantees… to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Everyone around this table is in favor of peace… that’s why a trilateral meeting is so important,” Macron said at his turn.
“We are all united here with Ukraine on this matter,” he added, before saying a ceasefire is a “necessity” along with security guarantees for Kyiv.
“The war in Ukraine has had a huge impact, particularly on the Ukrainians, but it’s also had an impact on Europe and the UK,” said Britain’s Starmer.
“When we talk about security, we’re talking about the security not just of Ukraine, we’re talking about the security of Europe and the United Kingdom as well.”
“I really feel that we can, with the right approach this afternoon, make real progress, particularly on the security guarantees,” he added.
The Finnish prime minister also emphasized the group’s solidarity with Ukraine and the importance of security guarantees for the future.
“The fact that we are around this table today is very much symbolic, in the sense that it’s Team Europe and Team US helping Ukraine,” he said.
“The progress we are looking for out of this meeting is about the security guarantees, which are a big part of this, and moving towards a process with a trilateral meeting.”
Earlier in the day, after a short private meeting between Zelensky and Trump, the US president said that “there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war.”
“We’ll have everlasting peace, to answer your question,” he continued.“I hope it will happen immediately. I hope it doesn’t have to go on.”
“It’s never the end of the road,” he said. “People are being killed and we want to stop that… I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended.”