Ukraine talks result in US security guarantees and potential Putin-Zelensky meeting
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders met US president Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss possible steps to end the war in Ukraine. Trump said the US would help assure Ukraine's security, and a meeting between Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin is being worked out.
The meeting, arranged at short notice, followed last Friday’s US-Russia summit. It was intended to reinsert Ukraine into the negotiations and ensure Kyiv has a voice in any talks about the future of the conflict.
One of the key outcomes was Trump’s willingness to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. Zelensky has long argued these are essential to deter Russia from resuming the war after a ceasefire. Trump explained that European countries would provide such a guarantee, in coordination with the US. No details were announced.
Bilateral talks
The talks also appear to have laid the groundwork for a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin. Both leaders confirmed they are willing to meet, and German chancellor Friedrich Merz said such a meeting could take place within two weeks.
The mood on Monday was markedly more optimistic than during Zelensky’s previous visit to the White House in February. That meeting had a hostile tone, with the Ukrainian president being criticised for his attire and accused of not showing enough gratitude for US support.
This time, Zelensky appeared in a collared suit and began the meeting by repeatedly thanking Trump, setting a far more conciliatory tone.
Differences remain
However, differences between the US and Europe are still visible. Merz said on Monday that "he cannot imagine the next meeting taking place without a ceasefire”. Trump, by contrast, said he does not believe a ceasefire is necessary to reach a peace deal.
This position is closer to Moscow’s, as Russia continues to capture territory to strengthen its hand in negotiations.
Along with Zelensky, Trump and Merz, the White House meeting was attended by French president Emmanuel Macron, UK prime minister Keir Starmer, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte.
Meanwhile, fighting continues on the ground. On Tuesday morning, Ukraine reported new Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure, just hours after Monday’s talks. Ukraine also targeted a Russian gas pipeline supplying Slovakia and Hungary, prompting criticism from Hungary’s foreign minister.
© PHOTO MANDEL NGAN / AFP
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