Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump have opened high-stakes talks with European leaders at the White House, as negotiations over Ukraine’s future security take centre stage.
The Ukrainian president and the US leader met with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a multilateral session in the State Dining Room.
Trump told reporters that Vladimir Putin had “agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine,” while suggesting Europe would shoulder much of the responsibility.
“I think the European nations are going to take a lot of the burden. We’re going to help them, and we’re going to make it very secure,” he said.
The US president noted that one of the central topics of the evening’s discussions in Washington would be “who would do what.”
European leaders welcomed Washington’s involvement. Ursula von der Leyen called it “good to hear” that nations were working toward “Article Five-like security guarantees.”
Article Five is NATO’s core principle that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the broader implications: “When we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent.”
He added that one essential outcome must be ensuring Ukraine maintains a “credible” military force for “the years and decades to come.”
Trump and Zelenskyy had earlier held a separate meeting in the Oval Office. Trump reiterated that the US would play a role in guaranteeing Ukraine’s safety, though he stopped short of confirming whether American troops would be involved. He later promised the US would provide “very good protection.”
Trilateral Meeting on the Horizon
Trump suggested that “if everything works out well today,” a trilateral meeting involving himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy could take place. Zelenskyy signaled his readiness for such talks.
At the close of the Oval Office press conference, Trump said he would call Putin “right after” the White House meetings.
The gathering comes just days after Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin.
At that summit, Putin reportedly demanded control of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a precondition for ending the conflict.
In return, Russia would cede other Ukrainian territories currently under its control, according to reports citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
Russian forces continue to occupy large parts of Donetsk and Luhansk. In September 2022, Moscow announced the annexation of those regions along with Kherson and Zaporizhia — a move rejected as illegal by the West.
Trump is expected to press Zelenskyy to accept some of those conditions, despite Kyiv’s repeated insistence it will not surrender territory to Moscow.
Ahead of the wider talks, Trump said potential “exchanges of territory” needed to be considered.
He emphasized that such arrangements would reflect “the current line of contact,” adding: “That means the war zone, the war lines that are now, pretty obvious, very sad, actually, to look at them and negotiating positions.”
From Clash to Cordiality
Zelenskyy’s latest White House visit marked a sharp contrast to his previous one, which ended in acrimony.
This time, he and Trump shook hands warmly on arrival, with Trump briefly placing his arm around Zelenskyy’s shoulder. Both appeared relaxed.
During the Oval Office meeting, they smiled throughout — a striking change from the earlier encounter when Vice President JD Vance publicly rebuked Zelenskyy for what he claimed was a lack of gratitude toward US support.
On that occasion, Vance also mocked Zelenskyy for not wearing formal attire, with Trump remarking that the Ukrainian leader did not “have the cards right now with us.”
The meeting collapsed, and Zelenskyy left the White House prematurely. He later admitted the exchange was “not good for both sides.”
This time, Zelenskyy adopted a different tone, arriving in a black collared shirt and tailored jacket, projecting a more formal image.
US correspondent Mark Stone described the moment as “really important,” noting: “We have learnt with Donald Trump that the trivial matters as much as the detail.”
Deputy political editor Sam Coates added that European leaders likely breathed “an almighty sigh of relief” after the Oval Office news conference.
“I actually think what we have just witnessed was a pivot point, potentially, in this war,” Coates said. “Not only did you have Volodymyr Zelenskyy turning up with a different tone and a different approach, but there was important substance in the room.”
He concluded that the language on security guarantees ensured “this will be remembered as a significant day.”
