• Backs peace talks without ceasefire, highlights European role in security
• Europe, Nato leaders travel to US in solidarity with Kyiv
• Macron calls for four-way summit of Ukraine, Russia, US and Europeans

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would help Europe in providing security for Ukraine as part of any deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as he and President Volodymyr Zelensky began a hastily arranged White House meeting to discuss a path to peace.

But he also suggested to reporters that he no longer believed reaching a ceasefire was a necessary prerequisite for striking a peace agreement, backing a position staked out by Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposed by Zelensky and most European leaders.

“When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” Trump said, adding that European countries would be involved. “They are a first line of defence because they’re there, but we’ll help them out.”

The two presidents took questions from the media in the Oval Office before meeting in private, six months after their last appearance there descended into disaster when Trump and Vice President JD Vance upbraided Zelensky in an extraordinary public dressing-down.

This time, the meeting appeared far more convivial, despite the US president’s movement toward Russia in recent days following his summit in Alaska with Putin. Zelensky struck a deferential tone, expressing gratitude more than once for the support of the United States.

Zelensky was also backed by the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato, who traveled to Washington to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine and push for strong security guarantees for the country in any post-war settlement.

Joint appearance

Following their one-on-one discussion, Trump and Zelensky made a joint appearance with the European leaders ahead of planned multilateral talks.

Zelensky described the one-on-one discussion as “very good” and said they had spoken about the importance of US security guarantees for Ukraine. “This is very important, that the United States gives such a strong signal and is ready for security guarantees,” he said.

Trump said he and Zelensky had covered “a lot of territory” during their discussion. He also again proposed a three-way summit among Putin, Zelensky and himself aimed at reaching a peace deal, which Zelensky said he would support.

Putin has not publicly committed to such a meeting, though Trump said repeatedly that he believes Putin wants to end the war. Trump said he had spoken to Putin on Monday and would call him after the talks as well.

Trump said he liked the concept of a ceasefire, but they could work on a peace deal while the fighting continued. “I wish they could stop, I’d like them to stop,” he said. “But strategically that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other.”

During the later appearance, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pushed back on that suggestion. Macron called for a four-way meeting including Europeans in response to Trump’s hopes of bringing together the Ukrainian and Russian presidents.

Trump greeted Zelensky warmly outside the White House, expressing admiration for Zelensky’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, “We love them.”

Zelensky thanked him, and Trump put his hand on Zelensky’s back in a show of affection before the two men went inside to the Oval Office.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2025