Following a gathering at the White House focused on the situation in Ukraine, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced he has initiated discussions regarding a potential direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump disclosed this development Monday evening via a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. The extent to which both Putin and Zelenskyy are agreeable to such a meeting remains unconfirmed.
Trump stated he held “a very pleasant meeting with high-ranking guests” at the White House. Attendees included President Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German parliamentary opposition leader Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to Trump, discussions centered on security guarantees for Ukraine, to be provided by various European nations in coordination with the United States. He noted that all participants expressed satisfaction with the prospect of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Trump claims that subsequent to these conversations, he spoke with Putin and began outlining preparations for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents at a yet-to-be-determined location. He further stated that following this potential bilateral discussion, he intends to convene a three-way meeting involving himself and both presidents.