Six months after the tense encounter between U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, the atmosphere shifted on Monday as the two leaders met again to discuss ending Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
Back in February, Zelensky’s behavior was described as a sign of “disrespect” toward the United States.
But this time, the talks at the White House were notably smoother.
During their talk, Trump assured Zelensky that the United States would help provide security guarantees for Ukraine.
However, these guarantees remain vague, with no clear indication whether U.S. troops would be deployed to secure Ukraine.
Reports suggest that what’s currently on the table involves U.S. weapons sales to Ukraine and other bilateral business deals.
Alongside Zelensky, leaders from Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, as well as representatives from the European Union and NATO, also gathered in Washington to express support and push for a peace agreement.
Ceasefire speaking, Trump clarified that he does not see it as a prerequisite for a peace agreement, a topic that could have been shifted the course of the event.
On the other hand, together with European leaders, Trump said he expects the release of about 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to a trilateral meeting.
He also emphasized that a peace agreement is “very attainable” should negotiations push through.
Meanwhile, there has been no clear signal from Putin that he is willing to join the talks. However, Zelensky has expressed openness to a trilateral meeting following his White House meeting.