By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – European Union leaders on Monday hailed US President Donald Trump efforts of hosting them with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House and helping to press the parties involved to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump told Zelenskyy that he would give Ukraine “very good protection and very good security” when asked about security guarantees for Ukraine, a key demand Zelensky is seeking in exchange for an agreement to end the war with Russia.
European leaders, who met with Trump and Zelensky included UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, media reported.
Trump, Zelensky and the European leaders had a closed door meeting began just before 3:30 p.m. EDT.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that the meeting with US President Donald Trump could be a “historic step” for Ukraine and Europe’s security.
“I think we could take a really important step forward today, a historic step actually could come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe,” Starmer said during a meeting with Trump and European leaders at the White House.
He said Trump’s indication of “Article-5 style” security guarantees corresponds with the work the “Coalition of the Willing” Ukraine’s main European allies has been doing for the past months.
He added the coalition is “prepared to step up to the plate” when it comes to ensuring Ukraine’s security.
NATO Article 5 is the “collective defence” part of the alliance’s treaty, which stipulates that an attack against one is considered an attack against all the allies and members will take mutual action.
Trump has been dismissive of Kyiv’s frequent calls for security guarantees some way to ensure that Russia won’t violate a ceasefire agreement or renew its offensive in Ukraine in a few years.
He said he planned to bring European leaders back to the Oval Office before they depart on Monday, an add to the schedule that a White House official attributed to the fact that “everything is going well”.
Trump met with the European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the East Room of the White House on Monday afternoon, according to media reports.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb praised Trump for the progress made in talks to resolve Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I think in the past two weeks, we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three and a half years,” he said on Monday, pointing to the symbolic nature of the leaders gathering to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Stubb reminded listeners that his country, Finland, shares a border with Russia for more than 800 miles.
He also nodded to the two countries’ shared history.
Finland was an autonomous part of the Russian empire from 1809 to 1917.
Finland joined the NATO in April 2023, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drove the formerly non-aligned country to abandon its neutrality and seek protection within the US-led alliance.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a meeting with Trump and Zelensky at the White House said that “The path is open” for more serious negotiations to be held on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Merz said that Trump opened that path after the US President met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
“Now the way is open for complicated negotiations,” he said.
Merz reiterated that the European leaders are eager to see a ceasefire before more talks are held.
“I can’t imagine that the next meeting will take place without a ceasefire,” he said.
“So let’s work on that.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that President Trump’s offer of security guarantees for Ukraine amounts to a “breakthrough” in securing a potential peace deal for Ukraine.
“The fact that you have said ‘I am willing to participate in the security guarantees’ is a big step, it’s really a breakthrough, and it makes all the difference. So also thank you for that,” Rutte said to Trump in a multilateral meeting alongside Zelensky and European leaders in the White House.
He was speaking in the Oval Office alongside Zelensky, Trump did not immediately rule out sending US troops to Ukraine to help maintain a potential peace deal.
“We’ll let you know that, maybe later today,” Trump said.
Rutte also thanked Mr. Trump for “breaking the deadlock” and successfully brought President Putin to the table for peace talks.
Trump pushes toward a three-way meeting between himself, President Putin and Zelensky,
French President Emmanuel Macron offers an idea: a European leader at the table as well.
“I think as a follow up, we would need probably a quadrilateral meeting. Because when we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent,” he said.
It seems unlikely Trump will warm to that idea, at least in the near term, as he works toward ending the war.
Macron underscored how much is at stake not only for Ukraine in the Monday talks, but also the rest of Europe.
Trump walked out to cameras at the White House alongside Zelensky and European leaders.
They stood quietly in a line and posed for a photo.
Trump stood in the middle, flanked by Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron, after that they held a meeting inside at the East room.
POTUS has said he called President Putin after holding meetings with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House, added he “began the arrangements” for a discussion between the leaders of the two warring countries.
He also paused his meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to speak with Putin, media reported,.
Trump added the European officials were not present for the conversation.
He said in a Truth Social post that the location of the meeting is yet to be determined and noted that after the proposed gathering between Zelensky and Putin, he will join the two Presidents for a trilateral meeting.
Trump was speaking alongside European leaders at the White House, said that he would float the idea of a trilateral meeting to Putin, who has said he would only meet with Zelensky after the details of a peace deal were negotiated.
He said earlier “we may or may not have a trilat,” later said it was a matter of “when, not if” he would come together with Putin and Zelensky, adding, “I think if we have a trilat, there’s a good chance of maybe ending (the war).”
Trump expects Putin to release over 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners after the trilateral meeting, though Russia has not accepted the meeting as of Monday afternoon, media reports stated.
