WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would “help out” Europe in providing security for Ukraine as part of any deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as he and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy began a hastily arranged White House meeting to discuss a path to peace.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office with Zelenskiy seated beside him, Trump also expressed hope that Monday’s summit could eventually lead to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that he believes Putin wants the war to end.
Zelenskiy and a group of European leaders arrived in Washington facing increased pressure from Trump to reach a resolution to end the war on terms more favorable to Moscow, after Trump and Putin met in Alaska on Friday for nearly three hours.
“We need to stop this war, to stop Russia and we need support – American and European partners,” Zelenskiy told reporters.
Trump greeted Zelenskiy outside the White House, shaking his hand and expressing delight at Zelenskiy’s black suit, a departure from his typical military clothes. When a reporter asked Trump what his message was to the people of Ukraine, he said twice, “We love them.”
Zelenskiy thanked him, and Trump put his hand on Zelenskiy’s back in a show of affection before the two men went inside to the Oval Office, where their last meeting in February ended in disaster after Trump dressed Zelenskiy down in front of television cameras.
This time, the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO joined Zelenskiy to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine and push for strong security guarantees in any post-war settlement.
Trump is pressing for a quick end to Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies worry he could seek to force an agreement on Russia’s terms after the president on Friday in Alaska rolled out the red carpet – literally – for Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
The European leaders will meet with Trump afterwards in the White House’s East Room at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), according to the White House. Such a high-level gathering at the White House on such short notice appears to be unprecedented in recent times.
Russian attacks overnight on Ukrainian cities killed at least 10 people, in what Zelenskiy called a “cynical” effort to undermine talks.
Trump has rejected accusations that the Alaska summit had been a win for Putin, who has faced diplomatic isolation since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“I know exactly what I’m doing, and I don’t need the advice of people who have been working on all of these conflicts for years, and were never able to do a thing to stop them,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump’s team has said there will have to be compromises on both sides to end the conflict. But the president himself has put the burden on Zelenskiy to end the war, saying Ukraine should give up hopes of getting back Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, or of joining the NATO military alliance.
Zelenskiy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said on social media.
