By Mark Orgu, News/Comments
All eyes were turned towards White House yesterday when European leaders joined Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky to chart possible way in ending the over three years war between them and Russia. Recall that, last week, President Donald Trump hosted the Rusian President, Vladimir Putin for discussion as the duo progressively said. We had a productive discussion. This necessitated the meeting of President Trump with Zelensky, of which European leaders saw the opportunity to parley ideas and profer a lasting solution to the war. France President, Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, President, EU, Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, NATO General Secretary, Mark Rutte, President, Finland, Alexander Stubb,
Meanwhile, the European leaders pressed Mr. Trump on providing a security guarantee similar to NATO’s Article 5, meaning that an attack on Ukraine would be considered an attack on all NATO countries. “We will give them very good protection and very good security,” Mr. Trump said.When asked what kind of security guarantees he wanted, Mr. Zelensky said: “Everything.”
However, according to CNN detailed insights report, it provided highlights and summary:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a host of European leaders — a rarity at the White House — as he seeks to negotiate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Most diplomats surveyed by CNN couldn’t remember another example of presidents and prime ministers ripping up their schedules to rush to Washington for emergency talks.
European officials said the last-minute decision to come to Washington reflected the urgency many leaders feel in aligning with Trump on ending the war — but also their concern that they not be sidelined.
Here are takeaways from the day:Nailing down security guarantees.
The United States’ role in security guarantees for Ukraine was at the center of Monday’s talks. European leaders and Zelensky are eager to know what resources Trump will commit to ensuring, once a potential peace deal is reached, that Russia isn’t able to regroup and go after more territory down the road. In the Oval Office with Zelensky, Trump would not rule out sending US troops into Ukraine to maintain the peace — a significant development that could make it easier for Zelensky to agree to other aspects of a proposed deal. Trump said the issue of “who will do what” would be discussed with other European leaders.
“President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine. And this is one of the key points that we need to consider, and we’re going to be considering that at the table,” he said. “I’m optimistic that, collectively, we can reach an agreement that would deter any future aggression against Ukraine, and I actually think there won’t be.”
Trump wrote in a concluding message on Truth Social Monday evening that guarantees “would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America.”
Even though he said European nations would take the lead in any security guarantees, Trump’s apparent openness to allowing American troops — “There’s going to be a lot of help,” he said — is a new development.
Trump was elected in part on a promise to keep American troops out of foreign conflicts, and even some members of his own administration have advocated for a vastly reduced US role in the Ukraine war.
To be sure, he didn’t commit to anything Monday. But the fact he didn’t take the option off the table could signal a shift in approach as he seeks an end to the war.
Still aiming for a trilateral meeting
One of Trump’s ultimate objectives is getting Zelensky and Putin into the same room, along with himself, to negotiate an end to the war. As the day ended, Trump said he was still working toward that goal — but offered few specifics on how soon it might happen.
As Monday’s talks were getting underway, he played up the importance of such a confab.
“We may or may not have a trilat. If we don’t have a trilat, then the fighting continues, and if we do, we have a good chance — I think if we have a trilat, there’s a good chance of maybe ending it,” Trump said.
Later, Trump said he was confident such a meeting would happen.
“I think it’s going to be when, not if,” Trump said.
As the day concluded, Trump said he had begun arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, along with a second meeting with the two men and himself. Trump and Putin talked on Monday afternoon — the US president paused his meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to speak with him, sources told CNN. The European leaders were not present for that conversation.
“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 wrote in a Truth Social post. “After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.”
Trump did not specify when either sit-down would occur; US officials have said they hope the meetings could happen quickly.
Still, Trump did not say explicitly that Putin has agreed to such a meeting, and the Russian leader has long been the holdout in such talks.
Earlier in Monday’s multilateral meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron, during his turn to speak in front of cameras, suggested that a European leader should attend as well.
“I think as a follow-up, we would need probably a quadrilateral meeting. Because when we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent,” he said.
It seems unlikely Trump will warm to that idea, at least in the near term, as he works toward ending the war. He did not mention another leader attending the meetings in his social media post.
Still, Macron’s point underscores how much is at stake not only for Ukraine in Monday’s talks, but also for the rest of Europe.
Trump still a no on a ceasefire
Trump’s reversal on the imperative of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine shocked European leaders and colored their talks Monday.
Heading into his summit last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said he would be disappointed if the talks didn’t result in a ceasefire, and threatened “severe” consequences if one did not come to pass.
But leaving Alaska last week, Trump said he no longer thought a ceasefire was necessary, wanting to move on to negotiating a final peace deal. And he said he wasn’t thinking about additional sanctions, which he had long threatened against Russia.
The shift was a surprise to the Europeans, since they’d come to an agreement in a virtual meeting two days before Trump’s summit with Putin that a ceasefire would be the US president’s objective.
But sitting with the Europeans on Monday, Trump made clear he had changed his mind on what’s realistic.
“All of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace,” he said. “As of this moment, it’s not happening.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz encouraged Trump to rethink.
“I can’t imagine the next meeting will take place without a ceasefire,” he said, referring to a potential meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky. “So let’s work on that.”
Trump shrugged off the idea.
A better atmosphere
The atmosphere inside the Oval Office for Zelensky’s meeting was far more collegial than the explosive fracas that played out in February, the last time the Ukrainian leader was in the room with Trump.
It was clear the Ukrainian side paid a lot of attention to ensuring the talks didn’t fall off the rails. Zelensky came with a letter from his wife for Melania Trump, and he praised the US first lady’s letter last week to Putin about children suffering during the war.
After Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful during the February meeting, the Ukrainian leader said the word “thanks” four times in the first 10 seconds of his short remarks Monday.
“Thank you for invitation, and thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts, to stop killings and stop this war. Thank you for using this opportunity, many thanks to your wife,” he said.
And Zelensky wore a suit — apparently a concession to Trump’s displeasure at the military uniform he wore during the last meeting. The two leaders even joked about his outfit Monday.
Unlike in February, Trump’s delegation stayed silent for Monday’s meeting. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were all on the sofa in the Oval Office for the meeting.
