Following a high-level meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that steps are being taken to arrange a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He characterised this development as a "very good, early step" toward resolving the conflict that has been ongoing for nearly four years.
During the gathering, which included European leaders, NATO officials, and the Ukrainian president, Trump stated that peace negotiations could be nearing. He recounted the events in a post on Truth Social, noting, "I had a very good meeting with distinguished guests which ended in a further meeting in the Oval Office."
Attendees included French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump indicated that a primary focus of the discussions was on the topic of security guarantees for Ukraine, which would be provided by European countries in collaboration with the United States. He expressed optimism, stating, "Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine."
Following the conclusion of the talks, Trump disclosed that he placed a direct phone call to President Putin. "I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy," he said.
Also Read: EU allies to back Zelensky in talks with Trump
Trump further elaborated that he anticipates hosting a trilateral meeting with both leaders after their initial one-on-one session. "After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself," he stated.
According to Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are currently working with Moscow and Kyiv to manage the logistical aspects of the meeting. He reiterated that this marks "a very good, early step for a war that has been going on for almost four years."
In a related development, Russian news agencies, citing a Kremlin aide, reported that President Vladimir Putin had a 40-minute phone call with President Trump. The Kremlin stated that Putin "warmly thanked" the US President for the hospitality and progress made during their previous summit in Alaska.
The aide confirmed that during their call, the two leaders supported the continuation of direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations and agreed to maintain close contact on the Ukraine crisis and other global matters. This signals an ongoing intention by both Moscow and Washington to keep communication channels open.
Also Read: Zelensky arrives in Washington, optimistic on Ukraine peace talks
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