What happened
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump at the White House Monday before the two leaders were joined by the heads of NATO and key European allies who had flocked to Washington, D.C., to backstop Ukraine. All the leaders emerged upbeat, though there was little sign of tangible progress toward ending Russia’s 3 1/2-year war in Ukraine.
Who said what
The “tone and style” of Zelenskyy’s private meeting with Trump was “far different” from their Oval Office sit-down in February, when Zelenskyy was “hounded out of the White House,” The Associated Press said. This time, Trump voiced support for guaranteeing Ukraine’s security, Zelenskyy “expressed his gratitude and wore dressier clothes,” and Vice President J.D. Vance “kept his mouth shut.”
Monday’s “cordial but inconclusive” meetings largely “focused on what security guarantees the European nations and the United States would provide Ukraine” if Zelenskyy agreed to a peace deal, The New York Times said. Trump also took 40 minutes to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin to “begin setting up a possible direct meeting” between him and Zelenskyy, with Trump joining later.
Zelenskyy “quickly embraced” a meeting with Putin, but the “Kremlin gave a noncommittal response,” The Wall Street Journal said. Ukraine’s president also called Trump’s signal that the U.S. would participate in securing his country’s security “a major step forward.” Trump said Washington would “help” the Europeans ensure security for Ukraine, and give Kyiv “very good protection and very good security,” though he did not offer details. Earlier Monday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry “ruled out the deployment of troops from NATO countries to help secure a peace deal,” Reuters said, contradicting Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.
What next?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the “overall security guarantees coordination effort” to prepare for a Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit, Politico said. Zelenskyy said the guarantees “will somehow be formalized on paper within the next week to 10 days.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump’s support for guaranteeing his country’s security ‘a major step forward’
