Key takeaways from Trump's meeting with Zelensky, European leaders

1News

21 hours ago

During their second meeting in the Oval Office this year, President Donald Trump said the US would be willing to support European efforts to police any peace deal in Ukraine, while its leader, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude and wore dressier clothes.
And Vice President JD Vance kept his mouth shut.
As Trump hosted Zelensky and top European leaders to energise months of stalled US-led efforts to halt Russia's 3-and-a-half-year-old war, the tone and style of the sit-down was far different than when Ukraine's president was hounded out of the White House in February.
Following the talks, Trump said he would work to arrange a meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US leader called Putin, who got the red carpet treatment at a summit in Alaska last Saturday with Trump, to discuss the extraordinary gathering of allies.
Here are key takeaways from the meeting:
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Trump suggests the US could back security guarantees for Ukraine
A central question for peace talks is how to prevent further Russian aggression in the future.
(Source: Associated Press)
Trump has ruled out allowing Ukraine to join NATO, which would extend the military alliance's protection to the besieged country. He did, however, express support for security guarantees for Ukraine — though details remain vague.
European countries "want to give protection and they feel very strongly about it and we'll help them out with that," Trump said.
That pleased Zelensky, who said the US was offering "such [a] strong signal and is ready for security guarantees".
Zelensky jabs back at reporter who 'attacked' him over clothing choice - watch on TVNZ+
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With Europeans looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement in Ukraine, Trump suggested that Putin would be open to accepting security guarantees. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Sunday that Moscow was open to accepting NATO-style protections for Ukraine.
At the White House, European leaders praised that notion, and the larger meaning it would carry.
"When we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
But it's unclear what Moscow would accept because Russia's Foreign Ministry has rejected the idea of a NATO peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
European leaders praise Trump but say tough work is still ahead
The Europeans came to show a united front on Ukraine, and many used public comments to heap praise on Trump. That was striking given tensions over Trump's threats to impose steep tariffs and other issues.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called Trump "dear Donald" and said of fighting in Ukraine: "If we play this well, we could end it."
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said all the parties were working together on "a just and lasting peace".
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, left, and Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom greet each other, ahead of their bilateral meeting at the 6th European Political Community summit Friday May 16, 2025 in Tirana, Albania. (Source: Associated Press)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the meetings could lead to "a really important step forward today" and the outcome might be "a historic step actually to come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe".
Offering a more measured tone was German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said "the path is open now" to halting the fighting but next steps are "more complicated".
"Let's try to put pressure on Russia," Merz said, adding that he would like to see a ceasefire come together.
Trump was noncommittal, saying, "If we can do the ceasefire, great," but suggested it was far from a dealbreaker. He dropped his push for a ceasefire after Friday's summit, aligning with Putin's position that negotiations should focus on a long-term settlement instead.
The good feelings extended to Zelensky and Trump. After Ukraine's leader praised the "very good conversation" with Trump, the US president responded, "Great remarks. I appreciated it."
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More formal attire — and a far different reception — for Zelensky
The meeting with Trump in the Oval Office was dramatically different than six months ago, when Trump and Vance harangued Zelensky for not being thankful enough for US military support.
There was a moment of laughter in the White House when the reporter who previously criticised the Ukrainian President's choice of attire complimented today's look. (Source: Associated Press)
Trump even seemed to relish a reporter from a conservative outlet asking then why Zelensky wasn't wearing a suit at the White House.
Ukraine's leader came prepared this time, wearing a black shirt and blazer. The same reporter told Zelensky, "You look fabulous," and Trump responded, "I said the same thing."
Then Trump said to Zelensky: "That's the one that attacked you last time." The Ukrainian president said he remembered, then playfully needled his questioner.
"You are in the same suit," Zelensky said as laughter rippled through the room. "I changed. You did not."
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Ukraine's president usually appears in a trademark hoodie or T-shirt — a show of solidarity with Ukrainian forces on the front lines.
Zelensky also expressed gratitude to the US and European allies for supporting his country, and repeatedly thanked first lady Melania Trump for sending a letter to Putin about stopping the killing of children during the war.
In the Oval Office, Vance gave no public comments.
Next steps in the negotiations turn back to Putin
Trump, who bragged on numerous occasions during the campaign that he could settle Russia's war in Ukraine in a day, said repeatedly Tuesday that it was far more complicated than he ever thought it would be.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a working meeting to discuss the results of the Russia-US summit in Alaska at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. (Source: Associated Press)
But he also suggested — likely implausibly — that the fighting that has raged for years could wind down quickly.
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'A week or two weeks, we'll know whether we're going to solve this, or if this horrible fighting is going to continue,' said Trump, even suggesting the issues yet to be hammered out weren't "overly complex".
Still, much remains unresolved, including red lines that are incompatible — like whether Ukraine will cede any land to Russia, the future of Ukraine's army and whether the country will ultimately have lasting and meaningful security guarantees against further Russian aggression.
Trump said after Zelensky and Putin meet, a key next step would be holding a meeting with all three of them.
Though many European leaders oppose forgoing a possible ceasefire on the road to seeking lasting peace, they support that meeting in the meantime. Macron suggested that another summit could feature Trump, Zelensky, Putin and top European leaders.
"The idea of trilateral meeting is very important, because this is the only way to fix it," the French president said.