U.S. President Donald Trump received Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House for a discussion following the historic Alaska Summit, where Trump met with Russian President Putin to discuss terms to end the war in Ukraine.
President Zelensky was accompanied by EU leaders from France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Finland, along with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte. The European leaders will take part in the discussions after the doors close in front of reporters.
The two presidents shared smiles and handshakes at the steps of the White House before the joint press conference. President Trump expressed his approval of Zelensky wearing a suit this time—something he failed to do in their last disastrous meeting, when the Ukrainian president was criticized for showing up at the White House underdressed for the occasion.
Zelensky thanked Trump multiple times for the opportunity to be there. Trump struck an optimistic tone about the prospects of the meeting, saying there is a good chance of reaching a deal today that would put an end to the fighting in Ukraine and Russia.
Trump highlighted that only a lasting peace deal is a good deal. He is not interested in a ceasefire or a frozen conflict, only a lasting peace on Europe’s eastern front.
Zelensky was asked whether Ukraine would finally see free elections if a peace were achieved. He responded, “Yes, of course. We are open to elections.” President Trump joked maybe he should suspend elections because of the war, prompting a nervous laugh from Zelensky.
Many reporters asked about the security guarantees of the U.S. and NATO to Ukraine. President Trump did not answer directly and was careful not to use language that would support any suspicion of offering a NATO membership to Ukraine. He reminded everyone of Russia’s historical claim, decades ago, even before Putin’s presidency, that they would not allow Ukraine to be a member of the Alliance, something that would put NATO weapons on Russia’s immediate border.
Before closing the floor for questions, Trump confirmed he will have a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the progress of today’s meeting. The U.S. Head of State hinted at the possibility of agreeing on a trilateral deal in principle later on Monday.
Before the meeting, President Trump was voicing very confident messages on the social media platform Truth Social. He blasted the leftist mainstream media sources for criticizing him, despite settling “6 Wars in 6 months, one of them a possible Nuclear disaster.” The president concluded his post by commenting on today’s meeting with Zelensky and the EU leaders: “Despite all of my lightweight and very jealous critics, I’ll get it done — I always do!!!”
