The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said this Monday that a peace agreement for the war in Ukraine is achievable, and assured that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, accepts Western security guarantees for Ukraine, while meeting with his counterpart from the former Soviet republic, Volodymyr Zelensky, and with European leaders.
"In a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is one of the key points we must consider, and we will be considering that at the table, also who will do what essentially," Trump stated, at the beginning of talks with European leaders and Zelensky, at the White House.
"I believe that European nations will take on a large part of the burden. We are going to help them, and we will make it very safe," he stated.
Trump, speaking with reporters present at the White House, indicated that everyone would prefer an immediate ceasefire, added that he was optimistic that an agreement could be reached to deter the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and stated that he would speak with Putin upon concluding Monday's meetings with Zelensky and European leaders.
Zelensky noted that "we had a very good conversation with President Trump, and it really was the best, or, well, maybe the best will be in the future," during the expanded meeting with European leaders at the White House.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared that "we all support the idea of a truce," and German Federal Chancellor Friedich Merz urged for a ceasefire before a potential tripartite summit between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.
After the brief appearance with the press, which took place after the meeting between the White House chief and Zelensky, Trump began talks with the Ukrainian leader and seven European leaders: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte; European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Finnish President Alexander Stubb; German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz; and French President Emmanuel Macron.
