President Donald Trump announced he is arranging a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The goal is to discuss a potential resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Trump made the announcement via social media after a meeting at the White House with Zelenskyy and European leaders.

“I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” Trump stated. He added that after this initial meeting, a trilateral discussion involving himself would take place. “Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.”

The discussions at the White House followed Trump's recent summit with Putin in Alaska. During that meeting, Trump leaned toward Putin's demands for Ukraine to make territorial concessions. Trump emphasized that a ceasefire and territorial disputes should be addressed in the upcoming meeting between the two leaders.

“We’re going to let the president go over and talk to the president and we’ll see how that works out,” Trump said. He also expressed support for European security guarantees for Ukraine during the meeting with Zelenskyy and leaders from France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and Finland, as well as the president of the European Commission and NATO's head.

While Trump did not commit U.S. troops to bolster Ukraine's security, he mentioned a “NATO-like” security presence would be discussed with European leaders. “They want to give protection and they feel very strongly about it and we’ll help them out with that,” he said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry, however, rejected the idea of a NATO peacekeeping force in Ukraine, warning of potential escalation and “unpredictable consequences.”

The tone of Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy was notably different from their previous encounter in February, which ended abruptly after Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Zelenskyy's gratitude for U.S. military aid. This time, Zelenskyy presented a letter from his wife, Olena Zelenska, for Trump’s wife, Melania. Trump also delivered a letter to Putin from Melania, urging him to consider the impact of the conflict on children.

During the meeting, Trump made light of Ukraine's delayed elections due to martial law, joking that such a situation would not be well-received in the U.S. Zelenskyy, who has been criticized for his informal attire in previous meetings, appeared in a dark jacket and buttoned shirt this time.

Following his meeting with Putin, Trump indicated that the responsibility now lies with Zelenskyy to agree to territorial concessions to end the war. He stated, “We’ll see in a certain period of time, not very far from now, a week or two weeks, we’re going to know whether or not we’re going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue.”

European leaders, who were not included in Trump's earlier summit with Putin, arrived in Washington with a unified goal of safeguarding Ukraine's interests. They expressed concerns about the implications of Trump's recent comments suggesting that Ukraine might not regain Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Zelenskyy responded to Trump's remarks by emphasizing the need for a lasting peace, stating, “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably.” He warned that peace must not be temporary, as it was after Russia's previous incursions.

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, urged Trump to push for a ceasefire in the upcoming trilateral meeting. Macron described Ukraine as an “outpost of our collective defense,” stressing the importance of a strong response to Russian aggression.

As discussions continue, Zelenskyy outlined Ukraine's need for a robust military through weapons sales and training, as well as security guarantees from Western allies to prevent future Russian attacks.