President Donald Trump on Monday assured Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Washington will back Ukraine’s security in any eventual peace settlement with Russia, though the scope of U.S. support remains unclear.
The pledge came during a high-profile White House summit with Zelenskiy and European leaders, days after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
“When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” Trump told reporters, emphasizing Europe’s role as “the first line of defence” while promising U.S. assistance.
Zelenskiy hailed the assurances as “a major step forward,” adding that guarantees would be formalized in writing within 10 days. He also revealed Ukraine’s offer to purchase roughly $90 billion in American weapons.
The tone was markedly different from February’s Oval Office encounter, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized the Ukrainian president. But despite the warmer atmosphere, a concrete peace deal remains elusive.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry, pre-empting the summit, rejected any NATO troop deployment to enforce a settlement, complicating Trump’s proposal.
Both leaders voiced hope the talks would pave the way for direct negotiations with Putin. Later, Trump said he had spoken to the Russian president and was arranging a Zelenskiy-Putin meeting, to be followed by a three-way summit.
According to a European official, Trump told EU leaders that Putin suggested the sequence of talks. While Moscow has not confirmed, a senior U.S. official said Hungary is being considered as a host. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated a Zelenskiy-Putin meeting could take place within two weeks.
