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President Donald Trump described his White Home negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders as “an excellent, early step” towards ending the almost four-year-old Russia-Ukraine warfare, saying that he has already spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about arranging a direct assembly with Zelenskyy.
Trump mentioned the group of world leaders held discussions on safety ensures for Ukraine, with commitments coming primarily from European nations “in coordination with the USA” in a press release on Fact Social after the conferences.
“Everybody may be very glad about the opportunity of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” Trump mentioned, including that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and particular envoy Steve Witkoff are actually main follow-up talks with Moscow and Kyiv.
Zelenskyy signaled he too was prepared to satisfy straight with Putin.
A Kremlin readout of the Trump-Putin name confirmed the pair “mentioned the concept of elevating the extent of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations,” however didn’t say whether or not Putin had agreed.
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President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte and European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a household picture amid negotiations to finish the Russian warfare in Ukraine, on the White Home in Washington, Aug. 18, 2025. (Alexander Drago/Reuters)
Trump outlines subsequent steps
Trump revealed that following the Oval Workplace conferences he phoned Putin to start making “preparations for a gathering, at a location to be decided, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy.” If that takes place, he mentioned, the following stage can be a “Trilat” — a trilateral assembly involving himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy mentioned he can be open to a gathering with Trump and Putin or a gathering with simply Putin subsequent.
“We confirmed that we’re prepared for a trilateral assembly,” the Ukrainian president informed reporters after the assembly. “And if Russia proposed to the President of the USA bilateral, after which we are going to see the results of the bilateral, then it may be trilateral. So I mentioned, all the time, Ukraine won’t ever cease on the way in which to peace, and we’re prepared for any sort of format however on the extent of leaders.”
President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the White Home on Monday. (Getty Photographs)
Whereas Trump has beforehand forged himself as a mediator relatively than a dealmaker, the suggestion that Putin is open to assembly face-to-face with Zelenskyy marked the most important breakthrough in peace negotiations but. “Once more, this was an excellent, early step for a warfare that has been happening for nearly 4 years,” he mentioned.
Safety ensures beneath dialogue
The concept of “safety ensures” has lengthy been central to Ukraine’s calls for. In response to Trump, these can be offered primarily by European states, coordinated with Washington. Forward of the conferences, Trump had not dominated out U.S. navy involvement within the ensures, however he has since confused that Europe will bear the first burden of defending Ukraine.
This {photograph} taken on Jan. 23, 2024, exhibits graves most of that are of the victims killed throughout the Russian strike final yr on a store and cafe in Groza village, on the cemetery in Groza, Kharkiv area, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Trump additionally reiterated his view that U.S. help ought to come by means of arms gross sales relatively than help packages. “We’re not giving something. We’re promoting weapons,” he mentioned earlier this week. Ukraine has reportedly floated a proposal to purchase as a lot as $100 billion in U.S.-made weapons with European financing, in accordance with the Monetary Occasions.
Land swaps could also be on the desk
Throughout the assembly, Trump and Zelenskyy had been pictured viewing a map outlining the entrance traces of the warfare and the Ukrainian territory presently occupied by Russia, about 20% of the nation. Trump could have used the map to debate with Zelenskyy which areas he might realistically half with with a view to get hold of peace.
After a bilateral assembly, the 2 leaders met with seven different European leaders. (REUTERS/Alexander Drago)
In response to a supply conversant in Zelenskyy’s go to planning, readability on U.S. and European safety ensures might assist the Ukrainian chief make the case domestically for any territorial concessions — a possible core component of talks with Russia. The query of which areas Ukraine might “let go” and which it should retain stays deeply delicate in Kyiv, the place public opinion has hardened after years of combating and heavy civilian losses.
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Russia’s categorical rejection
Moscow strongly opposed the idea of NATO-style ensures. The Russian overseas ministry launched a press release throughout the White Home talks warning that any association involving NATO nations might set off “uncontrolled escalation” with “unpredictable penalties,” in accordance with state media outlet RIA. That specific rejection underscores the problem of bridging the hole between Ukraine’s safety wants and Russia’s calls for.
President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) maintain a gathering at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. The 2 leaders are assembly for peace talks aimed toward ending the warfare in Ukraine. Russian Minister of International Affairs Sergey Lavrov (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio additionally joined the assembly. ( Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs)
European leaders weigh in
German Chancellor Merz confused that no significant talks might happen with out at the very least a brief ceasefire.
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“I can’t think about that the following assembly would happen with no ceasefire,” Merz mentioned. “So let’s work on that and put strain on Russia, as a result of the credibility of those efforts depends upon at the very least a ceasefire.”
Fox Information’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
