WASHINGTON – “It is clear that we all prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work towards a lasting peace,” the U.S. President said during the meeting, which was attended by leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

He added, “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin can talk more about this, but I believe that a peace agreement at the end of all this is within reach”.
Trump revealed he had spoken indirectly with President Putin earlier and expected a direct phone call with him following the current round of meetings. “We may or may not have a trilateral agreement,” he said, alluding to a possible summit involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.

Trump spoke about the points to be discussed in his meeting with European leaders and the Ukrainian president, including potential security guarantees and a territorial exchange, noting that he is “optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement to end the war”.

Trump reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting European efforts to ensure Ukraine’s security as part of any future agreement. But he also indicated to reporters that he no longer believed a ceasefire was a prerequisite for a peace agreement.

“As far as security is concerned, there will be significant assistance,” the U.S. president told reporters, adding that European countries would also participate. “They are the first line of defence because they are there, but we will help them,” he added.

For his part, the Ukrainian president expressed his readiness to hold a tripartite summit with his American and Russian counterparts.

“We are living under the yoke of (Russian) attacks. As you know, we have witnessed many attacks today,” he said, referring to Ukrainian authorities’ announcement that 14 people were killed in Russian shelling across Ukraine.