U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Washington’s backing on security guarantees in any eventual peace settlement to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The commitment came during a high-profile White House summit attended by top European leaders, held just two days after Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The tone contrasted sharply with their tense Oval Office encounter in February, as Trump greeted Zelenskyy warmly and expressed readiness to “help” alongside European partners.
“There’s going to be a lot of help. Europe will also be deeply involved, they’re on the front lines, but we’ll be there with them,” Trump said. Zelenskyy, in turn, described the pledge as “a very strong signal,” thanking Washington for its support.
European leaders—including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron—used the gathering to press Trump to make a ceasefire a precondition for further talks. “I cannot imagine another meeting taking place without a ceasefire,” Merz declared, while Macron emphasized that security guarantees concerned “the entire European continent.”
Trump, however, signaled flexibility after his talks with Putin, suggesting negotiations could advance even as fighting continues. “I like the idea of a ceasefire. I wish they could stop, but strategically it could be a disadvantage for one side or the other,” he said.
The U.S. president has vowed to end Europe’s bloodiest conflict in 80 years but has drawn concern in Kyiv and European capitals for urging Ukraine to abandon NATO membership ambitions and for hinting at territorial concessions. Putin’s latest proposals reportedly include Ukraine relinquishing control of the remaining quarter of Donetsk still outside Russian hands. Zelenskyy rejected such terms, insisting that any compromise must be subject to a referendum.
Meanwhile, the war raged on: Russian strikes killed at least 10 civilians, including children, in Kharkiv overnight, while Ukrainian drones hit an oil facility in Russia’s Tambov region, disrupting flows through the Druzhba pipeline.
Trump confirmed he had spoken again with Putin on Monday, claiming the Russian leader “wants to end the war,” though Moscow has yet to agree to a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and has rejected any deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine.
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