In a landmark gathering at the White House on Monday, US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside seven European leaders to map out a roadmap for peace in Ukraine.
The day began with a one on one dialogue between Trump and Zelenskyy, setting the stage for a broader discussion. Trump expressed optimism that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to seek an end to the conflict and hinted at forthcoming security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy reaffirmed his commitment to a diplomatic solution and welcomed the prospect of a trilateral summit. He stressed that sensitive issues, including territorial concerns, would be on the table.
Joining the talks were NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron. The leaders voiced support for a ceasefire and agreed that progress on security guarantees could pave the way forward.
Chancellor Merz noted he 'can't imagine' the next meeting happening without a ceasefire first, while President Macron floated the idea of expanding the dialogue to a quadrilateral format, underlining the need to consider the security of the entire European continent.
As talks concluded, Trump stepped away to place a call to Putin, announcing plans to set up a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. He outlined the vision for a Trilat summit with the two presidents and himself.
These discussions follow a nearly three hour meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska last Friday. With no deal reached there, attention now turns to whether this new round of talks in DC can break the current deadlock and bring a lasting ceasefire closer to reality.
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Trump, Zelensky, European leaders hold talks on Ukraine crisis
cgtn.com
