Trump pushes for a possible summit between Putin and Zelensky
- Trump pushes for direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky
- Trump changes his stance on the ceasefire
- Security guarantees for Ukraine... and for Europe
- A much more cordial meeting than in February
US President Donald Trump met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House on Monday in a decisive meeting to explore new avenues for lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Among those attending were UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Frederich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The summit comes just three days after Trump's conversation with Vladimir Putin in Alaska and has signalled a strategic shift by Washington. Trump has proposed organising a direct meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents and has softened his stance on an immediate ceasefire, causing concern among European allies.
Trump pushes for direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky
In the presence of the most important world leaders in the West, Donald Trump announced that talks have begun to prepare for a possible face-to-face summit between Zelensky and Putin. ‘At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin and initiated preparations for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky,’ the US president said.
The Kremlin confirmed the call, describing it as ‘frank and constructive,’ while the Ukrainian president expressed his willingness to meet.
In addition to an initial meeting between the two, the proposal will also include a second trilateral meeting in which Trump will be present as mediator. This is beginning to be linked to the possibility of Donald Trump being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, as happened with former US President Barack Obama in 2009.
If the meeting takes place, it will be the first time the two leaders have sat down face to face since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022.
Trump changes his stance on the ceasefire
The United States has been Ukraine's closest ally and the country that has contributed the most to its war against Russia, although since the conflict began in February 2022, the US position of support has not always been the same.
Under the leadership of former President Joe Biden, aid and support were total; Donald Trump, on the other hand, has been more forceful and ‘responsible to the American people,’ cutting aid on several occasions, probably due to electoral interests.
One of the most significant shifts was the US president's change of stance on the ceasefire. Trump had always boasted that, after he came to power, the conflict would be over in 24 hours.
On numerous occasions, Trump had insisted that any progress must include an immediate ceasefire, even warning of sanctions if Moscow did not agree. However, after his meeting with Putin, Trump said that a ceasefire could be counterproductive if it ‘benefits only one side,’ partially aligning himself with the Russian narrative.
‘Strategically, a ceasefire could be disadvantageous to one side,’ Trump concluded.
This position set off alarm bells in both Kiev and among European partners, who continue to view the ceasefire as an essential step to halt the escalation and pave the way for formal negotiations.
Security guarantees for Ukraine... and for Europe
One of the central focuses of the meeting was the discussion of security guarantees for Ukraine in an eventual peace scenario. Trump assured that the United States would provide Kiev with ‘very good protection,’ although he did not specify whether this would involve a direct military commitment.
In addition, the door was opened to a collective defence model similar to NATO's Article 5, without implying Ukraine's formal entry into the alliance. ‘Europe will be the first line of defence, but we are also going to participate,’ Trump said.
European leaders, aware that any miscalculated concession could affect regional security, showed caution and firmness, making it clear that the conflict goes beyond Ukraine's borders.
Emmanuel Macron responded to Trump regarding European security by saying that ‘when we talk about security guarantees, we are also talking about the security of the European continent.’ Along the same lines, although more forceful, Ursula von der Leyen stated that Europe cannot afford an imposed peace, but that it must be fair, lasting and respect Ukraine's sovereignty.
There were also signs of a coordinated position among the leaders to prevent Washington from reducing its involvement in the defence of the continent if security agreements are reconfigured. Frederich Merz insisted that ‘we are not here just to support Ukraine, but to remember that its defence is our defence’. Finally, Giorgia Meloni clarified that ‘if Ukraine falls, the next red line will be within the European Union’.
A much more cordial meeting than in February
The tone of the meeting was visibly more positive than that of the controversial February meeting, where Zelensky was criticised for his attitude and dress.
This time, the Ukrainian president wore a dark suit, joked with journalists and repeatedly expressed his gratitude. He even delivered a personal letter from his wife to Melania Trump. European leaders also appeared conciliatory, while continuing to express their strategic concerns. The meeting showed that, although there has been diplomatic progress, deep differences remain on the path to peace.
