Trump Will Host Zelensky In D.C. On Monday
Trump said after meeting with Putin in Alaska the 'best way' to end Russia's war with Ukraine is 'to go directly to a peace agreement,' and not a 'mere ceasefire agreement.' AFP via Getty Images
Zelensky, who wrote Saturday he held a 'long and substantive' conversation with Trump, said he would meet with Trump in Washington, D.C. to 'discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.'
Trump said Saturday he spoke with Zelensky and other European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and said it was 'determined by all' that the 'best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement … and not a mere ceasefire agreement.'
Trump joined Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, later announcing a peace deal was not reached, though Trump noted he and Putin made 'headway' and 'great progress' in their discussions.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that, 'if all works out' in his meeting with Zelensky, 'we will then schedule a meeting with Putin.' It's not immediately clear whether Trump's next meeting would include Zelensky, though Trump appeared to believe Putin would be open to the idea of holding a trilateral summit with Ukrainian officials, a European official told CNN. A statement released Saturday by several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others, argued the 'next step' toward peace talks must include Zelensky. Chief Critic
'Unfortunately, Trump has taken Putin's position, and this was Putin's demand,' Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told Reuters in a statement criticizing Trump's calling for a peace deal instead of a ceasefire agreement. Serhiy Leschenko, advisor to Zelensky's chief of staff, told CNN that negotiating for a peace deal before a ceasefire could create a 'high risk of blackmail for Ukraine.'
A meeting between Trump and Zelensky follows months of Trump's efforts to reach a peace deal in Ukraine's war with Russia. Before Trump's return to the White House in January, Zelensky claimed Ukraine's war would end 'faster' with Trump as president. Trump campaigned and argued he could end the war in 24 hours, though his efforts have gone unfinished, as Trump has criticized Putin's refusal to reach a deal. A feud escalated between Zelensky and Trump in the weeks leading up to Zelensky's last trip to Washington, D.C., in February, as Trump shifted negotiations away from Ukraine and accused Zelensky of being a 'dictator' who 'refuses to have elections.' While Trump appeared to walk back his criticism of Zelensky, their last meeting quickly became tense and often verged on a shouting match. Further Reading Forbes Trump-Zelenskyy Talks End Early After Trump Threatens Him In Tense Live Meeting: 'Make A Deal Or We're Out' By Ty Roush Forbes Trump Says 'No Deal' With Putin Following Meeting In Alaska (Live Updates) By Sara Dorn
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