Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to put on friendly faces before the global press in the Oval Office on Monday, steering clear of the heated exchange they had back in February, as the U.S. president works to broker a peace deal in Eastern Europe.
Zelensky said he is "ready" to sit down for face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin and Trump to bring the Ukraine war to an end, while also thanking the Trump for his attempts to "stop the killing." Trump praised Zelensky for wearing a military-style suit as a gesture of respect, instead of his typical camouflage attire, as the two leaders fielded tough questions from reporters.
Zelensky Gets Ready
The two leaders were spotted smiling and sharing laughs — and Vice President JD Vance, who had been central to February's blow up, shook hands with Zelensky's top aide, Andriy Yermak, ahead of the talks.
The White House meeting, which brought together Zelensky and key European partners, is being viewed as a boost for Trump, who is trying to mediate and bring Ukraine and Russia to the same negotiating table for a final peace deal.
Zelensky said that any agreement must include "two elements" — a "strong Ukrainian army" supported by Western weapons, training, and intelligence, as well as continued backing from "big countries."
He also said he was open to a three-way meeting with Trump and Putin — while Trump said that the role of U.S. troops in Eastern Europe would be part of the discussions.
"We'll let you know that maybe later today, we're meeting with seven great leaders of great countries also, and we'll be talking about that," Trump said of US troops being placed in Ukraine.
No formal agreement or date for a three-way summit was expected before the meeting, insiders told The New York Post on Monday. The main objective, rather, was to align all sides, with European partners looking for more details on the U.S. security assurances that had been mentioned earlier.
"We need to sit and discuss different possibilities, different variants [of Russia occupying parts of Ukraine], because it's possible to find very creative [alternatives,]" a source told The Post.
Toward a Solution
Rumors flew last week suggesting that Russia might agree to withdraw from the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions if Ukraine ceded Donetsk. However, Moscow has since rejected those claims.
On Friday, Trump held a meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, and on Monday quickly brought together Zelensky and seven European leaders to review the remaining details of a possible peace deal.
Putin has demanded that Ukraine fully give up Donetsk as a condition to halt the war, while Zelensky has voiced concern that such a concession could pave the way for another major attack.
European leaders in attendance — including French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — agreed to provide troops for a peacekeeping mission if a deal is reached, saying such a move would give Kyiv NATO-style protection without officially making it a member of the alliance.
Trump promised to phone Putin after wrapping up his meeting with Zelensky, adding that even if Monday's talks ended in a stalemate, it would "not mark the end" of efforts to negotiate peace.
