President Donald Trump has released a statement following a significant meeting at the White House on Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict with Russia that has persisted for over three years.
“I had a very productive meeting with esteemed guests, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron of France, President Alexander Stubb of Finland, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the Federal Republic of Germany, President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, and Secretary General Mark Rutte of NATO, at the White House, which concluded with an additional meeting in the Oval Office,” Trump stated on Truth Social.
“At the end of the discussions, I reached out to President Putin to initiate arrangements for a meeting, the location of which is yet to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” Trump noted. “Following that meeting, we will hold a trilateral discussion involving the two Presidents and myself.”
“During our discussions, we addressed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which would be provided by various European nations in coordination with the United States of America,” he added. “Everyone is optimistic about the potential for PEACE between Russia and Ukraine.
He stated: “Once again, this was a significant initial step in a War that has persisted for nearly four years. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are collaborating with both Russia and Ukraine.”
The various European leaders present also provided brief statements after the meeting.
“I believe we had a very productive discussion with President Trump… it was truly beneficial. We addressed some very sensitive issues,” Zelensky remarked.
“I sincerely wish to express my gratitude to you, President of the United States, dear Donald, for the fact that you, as I previously mentioned, effectively broke the stalemate with President Putin by initiating dialogue … From that point, here we are today,” Rutte added.
Stubbe observed: “I believe that in the last two weeks, we have likely made more progress in resolving this war than we have in the last three-and-a-half years.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was also present, remarked about Trump, “This is a significant day — a new phase — after three years during which we saw no indication from the Russian side of their willingness to engage in dialogue, so something is changing — something has changed — thanks to you.”
Starmer commented: “I believe today will be regarded as a very significant day in recent years concerning a conflict that has lasted for over three years, and thus far, no one has been able to bring it to this juncture — so I appreciate your efforts in that regard.”
The White House meeting followed a peace summit that Trump conducted in Alaska last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his remarks, Merz referred to that meeting, stating, “It is extremely beneficial that we are convening and hearing that the two of you are having such a productive meeting today … The path is clear. You opened it last Friday — but now the way is open for intricate negotiations.”
Von der Leyen also noted, “We had an outstanding NATO Summit… We reached the largest trade agreement ever — confirmed. And now, we are here to collaborate with you on a… lasting peace.
