Trump, Zelensky Meet at White House Amid Push for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal
The meeting, their first since a tense Oval Office encounter in February, came just days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – US President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House on Monday for high-stakes talks aimed at advancing a potential peace deal with Russia.
The meeting, their first since a tense Oval Office encounter in February, came just days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
While sharp disagreements remain over Trump’s call for Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow—including recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea and a pause in Kyiv’s NATO ambitions—the US president struck an optimistic tone. He said there was a “good chance” of ending the war sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Trump also revealed he planned to speak with Putin later in the day and floated the idea of a trilateral summit. “I think if everything works out well today, we’ll have a trilat, and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” Trump said, seated alongside Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Zelensky, joined in Washington by a group of senior European leaders, thanked Trump for his personal engagement. “Thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts to stop killings and stop this war,” he told reporters.
Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Finland, along with top officials from the European Commission and NATO, also attended the White House meeting. Their presence underscored Western support for Ukraine as Trump pressed for compromises that many in Europe view as controversial.
The atmosphere was much calmer than it had been less than six months ago, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticized Zelensky for not being "grateful" for US support in front of TV cameras.
