Trump Vows U.S. Backing for Ukraine’s Security in Any Peace Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump assured President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday that Washington would help guarantee Ukraine’s security in any settlement to end Russia’s war, though the scope of such support remains unclear.

Trump made the pledge during a high-profile White House summit with Zelenskiy and European allies, held days after his meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“On security, there’s going to be substantial assistance,” Trump told reporters, noting that European nations would also play a role. “They are the first line of defence since they’re on the ground, but we’ll back them up.”

Zelenskiy welcomed the pledge as “a major step forward,” saying the security guarantees would be formalized in writing within a week to 10 days. He also revealed that Ukraine had offered to purchase roughly $90 billion in U.S. weapons.

Monday’s discussions reflected a notably warmer atmosphere compared to the strained Oval Office meeting in February, during which President Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly voiced criticism of the Ukrainian leader.

A peace deal still seemed distant. Shortly before the talks began, Russia’s Foreign Ministry rejected the possibility of NATO troops being deployed to help secure an agreement, complicating Trump’s proposal.

Both Trump and Zelenskiy expressed hope that Monday’s meeting would eventually pave the way for three-way talks with Putin, whose forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine.

In a social media post late Monday, Trump said he had spoken with the Russian leader and begun arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy, to be followed by a trilateral summit of the three presidents.

Trump told European leaders that the sequence had been suggested by Putin, according to a member of the European delegation.

Although the Kremlin has not publicly confirmed the plan, a senior U.S. official said the Putin-Zelenskiy meeting could be held in Hungary. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the two leaders are expected to meet within the next two weeks.

The most recent direct talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Turkey in June, where Putin rejected Zelenskiy’s public invitation for a face-to-face meeting and instead dispatched a low-level delegation.

Ceasefire Clash: Europe Presses, Trump Hesitates

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in an audio message on Telegram on Monday that Trump and Putin had discussed “the possibility of elevating the level of representatives from the Ukrainian and Russian sides … participating in the direct negotiations.”

European leaders, who had hurried to Washington to support Zelenskiy, urged Trump to press Putin to agree to a ceasefire in the 3½-year war before advancing any talks.

Trump had earlier endorsed that proposal but reversed his stance after meeting Putin on Friday, instead aligning with Moscow’s position that any peace agreement should be comprehensive.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he favored the idea of a ceasefire but argued that negotiations toward a peace deal could continue even as the fighting went on. “I wish they could stop, I’d like them to stop,” he said. “But strategically that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated support for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for direct talks with Russia. Macron added that European leaders would ultimately need to be part of any peace negotiations.

“When we talk about security guarantees, we are talking about the security of the entire European continent,” he told Trump.

Trump and Zelenskyy first held a private discussion before joining European leaders, including the heads of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO, for more than two hours of multilateral talks.

Warmer Ties After February Fallout

Zelenskiy managed Monday’s meeting with far greater success than his ill-fated Oval Office encounter in February, which ended abruptly after Trump and Vice President Vance scolded him for lacking gratitude. This time, in his opening remarks to the press, Zelenskiy expressed his thanks no fewer than eight times.

He was also bolstered by the presence of European leaders, who traveled to Washington to show solidarity with Kyiv and to press for firm security guarantees in any post-war settlement.

Trump welcomed Zelenskiy warmly outside the White House, even complimenting his black suit — a sharp contrast to the military attire he usually wears and which, according to reports, had irritated Trump during their February meeting.

Asked by a reporter what message he had for the people of Ukraine, Trump replied, “We love them.” Zelenskiy thanked him, as Trump placed a hand on his back in a gesture of warmth before the two entered the Oval Office.

Trump Turns Up the Heat

Trump has been pushing for a swift end to Europe’s deadliest war in eight decades, raising concerns in Kyiv and among its allies that he may seek to impose a settlement on Russia’s terms. Those worries intensified after Trump literally rolled out the red carpet for Putin on Friday, despite the Russian leader facing war crimes charges from the International Criminal Court, allegations he denies.

Moscow continues to describe its invasion as a “special military operation” meant to protect national security, citing NATO’s expansion eastward and Western support for Ukraine as existential threats. Kyiv and its allies, however, dismiss that claim, calling the war an imperial-style land grab.

Trump has rejected suggestions that the Alaska summit amounted to a victory for Putin, who has faced international isolation since the 2022 invasion. According to Trump’s team, compromise is required on both sides. But the president has placed the greater burden on Zelenskiy, urging Ukraine to abandon its goal of reclaiming Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and its ambition of joining NATO.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that membership for Ukraine is not on the table but noted that discussions are underway on NATO-style security guarantees, similar to the alliance’s Article 5 principle of collective defense. Such guarantees, Rutte suggested, could serve as an alternative to full NATO membership. Ukraine’s constitution, however, enshrines NATO accession as a strategic objective.

Zelenskiy has already dismissed the framework of Putin’s proposals presented in Alaska, which included Ukraine ceding the remaining quarter of its eastern Donetsk region, now largely under Russian control. Any such concession of territory, Kyiv has insisted, would require approval through a national referendum.

The war has killed or wounded more than a million people on both sides, including thousands of Ukrainian civilians, and has left vast areas of the country in ruins, analysts say.

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