In what could mark a significant diplomatic breakthrough, US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) announced plans to facilitate direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a bid to end the war.
Following a high-level meeting at the White House with European leaders, NATO officials, and Zelenskyy, Trump said peace efforts were “moving closer.”
“I had a very good meeting with distinguished guests… which concluded with another session in the Oval Office,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Attendees included French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to Trump, the talks focused on security guarantees for Ukraine, to be coordinated between Washington and key European capitals. “Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” he added.
Trump revealed that after the meeting, he called Putin directly to initiate arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. He also proposed a follow-up trilateral session involving himself. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been tasked with working out logistics with Moscow and Kyiv.
The development comes shortly after Trump’s August 15 summit with Putin in Alaska, where the US leader signaled openness to considering Russia’s security concerns. Trump suggested that peace could involve security guarantees for Ukraine, discussions on territorial issues along the current line of contact, and potential three-party talks.
“The Alaska Summit made me realise that while difficult, peace is within reach,” Trump said. “President Putin has agreed to accept security guarantees for Ukraine, which is a key step forward. We now aim to move toward direct talks with President Zelenskyy as soon as possible.”
