Trump, European leaders call for immediate ceasefire; trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, Putin and US President possible

Economic Times

2 days ago

Donald Trump met Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders. He said a peace agreement for Ukraine is possible. Trump mentioned Putin agreed to Western security guarantees for Ukraine. This is a key point for discussion. European nations will take on much of the responsibility. The US will provide assistance to ensure security. Discussions are ongoing at the White House.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday a peace agreement for the war in Ukraine is attainable as he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.Trump, speaking with reporters present at the White House, said all would prefer an immediate ceasefire but that he was optimistic that an agreement can be reached to deter aggression in Ukraine.Also while opening talks with the European leaders and Zelenskyy, Trump said that Putin has accepted Western security guarantees for Ukraine "In a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine and this is one of the key points that we need to consider and we're going to be considering that at the table, also who will do what essentially," said Trump as he opened talks with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House."I think the European nations are going to take a lot of the burden. We're going to help them and we're going to make it very secure," he said.Russia entered Friday's talks with the United States from a position of strength on the battlefield in Ukraine. It has driven a wedge into Ukrainian defenses in the east, and Ukrainian officials have warned that Moscow has massed forces and equipment for new offensive operations.In recent days, Russian forces broke through a section of Ukrainian defenses in the eastern Donbas region. Russian troops advanced about 10 miles, threatening to outflank Ukraine's positions.The Russian advance has come at a steep price. About 230,000 Russian soldiers have died since the beginning of the invasion, according to estimates based on obituaries collected by the independent news outlet Mediazona and BBC News Russian. Ukrainian losses are estimated at less than half of that figure.But Moscow has been able to rebuild and even expand its battered forces by tapping into a population that is four times as large as Ukraine's. Kyiv has struggled to replenish its army through conscription.