Washington: The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House Oval Office concluded smoothly, with several European leaders, the EU, and NATO officials also in attendance. Reports indicate that Zelenskyy accepted Trump’s proposal for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump announced that the United States would facilitate a meeting between the two leaders, marking a significant step toward ending the prolonged conflict.
The discussions were attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Leaders primarily focused on providing security guarantees to Ukraine. Trump later revealed on Truth Social that following his talks with Zelenskyy, he also spoke with Putin by phone, and both agreed to hold a meeting, though the venue has not yet been decided. He added that U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff would coordinate the arrangements.
Expressing satisfaction, President Zelenskyy described the talks as constructive and emphasized the importance of discussions on security assurances. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the proposed trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. as a historic step but stressed that a ceasefire ahead of talks would be preferable. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte underlined the need for allied nations to unite in preventing further strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure, reiterating that concrete steps are now underway toward ending the nearly four-year-long war.