US President Donald Trump on Monday met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in a high-stakes meeting, nearly six months after their heated Oval Office showdown. This time, the atmosphere was markedly different, with both leaders smiling, joking, and speaking calmly with reporters.
Trump said the world was “tired” of the Ukraine war, which has been ongoing since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and hinted at a possible trilateral summit between the US, Ukraine, and Russia to negotiate peace. “We’re going to have a meeting… I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” he said.
Zelenskyy supported the proposal, stating that Ukraine was ready for a trilateral dialogue to achieve a diplomatic end to the conflict. Thanking Trump for his personal efforts, Zelenskyy said, “We want it to end good for everybody. The people of Ukraine have suffered.”
Earlier, Trump welcomed Zelenskyy outside the White House, noting his black suit—a rare departure from his military attire. Inside, Trump described Zelenskyy’s presence as an “honour” and spoke of “good progress,” contrasting sharply with his confrontational tone during their February 28 meeting.
Trump emphasized that the summit, if successful, must bring lasting peace. “We are not talking about a two-year peace and then ending up in this mess again. If there’s peace, it’s going to stay long-term,” he said.
On the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine, Trump assured that Kyiv would get “a lot of help” and did not rule out the possibility of US troop involvement, saying, “We’ll let you know that maybe later today.” Zelenskyy, for his part, highlighted training missions and intelligence sharing as vital to strengthening Ukraine’s defense.
Trump also confirmed he would call Russian President Vladimir Putin after meeting Zelenskyy, noting he had recently spoken to him indirectly. The meeting came just three days after Trump’s talks with Putin in Alaska, which failed to secure a ceasefire.
Later on Monday, Trump is scheduled to meet with leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO, who have joined Zelenskyy in Washington to show solidarity and push for strong security guarantees in any post-war settlement.
The Ukraine war, now in its 3.5th year, has killed or wounded over a million people on both sides—including thousands of Ukrainian civilians—while devastating large parts of the country, according to analysts.
