Washington witnessed a dramatic day of diplomacy on Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to the White House for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. The high-stakes meeting, attended by several European leaders, came just days after Trump’s summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin — a meeting that failed to produce a ceasefire.
Trump revealed that he had spoken by phone with Putin for 40 minutes and was exploring the possibility of arranging direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. “I think he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal for me,” Trump was overheard telling French President Emmanuel Macron before the multilateral session.
If realized, this would be the first face-to-face encounter between Putin and Zelensky since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. While Kyiv has long pushed for such a meeting, Moscow has consistently resisted the idea. A Kremlin aide, however, left the door ajar on Monday, saying it was “worthwhile” to consider raising the level of ongoing talks.
Trump downplayed the necessity of a ceasefire before negotiations, a stance at odds with Ukraine’s past insistence that fighting must halt before meaningful talks can proceed. European leaders pushed back strongly, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declaring, “I can’t imagine the next meeting without a ceasefire.”
Zelensky, notably, refrained from repeating his earlier calls for an immediate ceasefire, signaling flexibility in the interest of progress.
Perhaps the most consequential development was Trump’s hint that the United States would back Ukraine with security guarantees as part of any peace deal. While stopping short of promising U.S. troops on the ground, Trump told reporters, “We’ll give them good protection.”
Zelensky later confirmed that discussions included a $90 billion arms deal, encompassing advanced U.S. aviation and anti-missile systems, along with an agreement for Washington to purchase Ukrainian drones — a move that would boost Kyiv’s domestic defense industry.
Conscious of his strained February visit, Zelensky adopted a noticeably warmer tone this time. Wearing a formal suit instead of his trademark military attire, he repeatedly thanked his hosts and even handed Trump a personal letter from Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska to Melania Trump.
European leaders also praised Trump’s “leadership” in convening the talks, with NATO chief Mark Rutte and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni crediting him for creating momentum.
Alongside the security discussions, Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen raised the plight of children displaced or missing due to the war. Melania Trump had even sent a personal letter on the matter to Putin during the Alaska summit.
By the end of the evening, optimism was cautiously rising. Trump declared on Truth Social that “everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” while Zelensky expressed hope that security guarantees could be finalized within 10 days.
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called it “an important day of diplomacy” — underscoring that the focus should be on “lasting peace, not a temporary ceasefire.”
If the planned Putin–Zelensky summit materializes, it could mark the most significant breakthrough in the conflict in nearly three and a half years — and a defining moment for Trump’s pledge to end the war.
(With Agency Inputs)