Trump Tells Zelenskiy U.S. Will Support Ukraine Security in Any Peace Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday that the United States would help guarantee Ukraine’s security in any agreement to end the war with Russia, though details of the assistance were not immediately specified.

The statement came during a White House summit that brought together European leaders, following Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump said European nations would serve as the “first line of defense,” with the United States providing supplementary support.

Zelenskiy described the U.S. pledge as “a notable step forward,” stating that the security guarantees would be formally recorded within the next week to 10 days. He also confirmed that Ukraine had offered to purchase roughly $90 billion in U.S. military equipment.

Despite the talks, a peace agreement remained uncertain. Russia’s Foreign Ministry ruled out the participation of NATO troops in any potential settlement, complicating Trump’s proposal. Both Trump and Zelenskiy expressed hope that the summit could lead to a trilateral meeting with Putin. Trump said he had contacted Putin to arrange a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, which could then be followed by a summit involving all three presidents. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that such a meeting might take place in Hungary within the next two weeks.

At the summit, European leaders called on Trump to ensure a ceasefire before moving forward with additional negotiations. Trump expressed support for the idea of a ceasefire but stated that peace talks could continue even while hostilities persisted. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Trump and Putin discussed raising the level of officials involved in future direct talks.

The meeting followed a tense February Oval Office encounter between Trump and Zelenskiy, and the most recent direct talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Turkey in June. Prior to engaging in more than two hours of multilateral discussions with European leaders—including officials from Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO—Zelenskiy and Trump met privately.

Trump emphasized his desire for a swift resolution to the conflict but suggested Ukraine might need to compromise on territorial issues, including Crimea and the Donetsk region. Zelenskiy has largely rejected proposals from the Alaska meeting that would involve ceding territory.

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has killed or wounded more than one million people and caused widespread destruction across Ukraine.

Article Source: reuters