Peace with Putin? 5 key points from Trump meeting with Zelensky, Europeans

Much of the meeting focused on security guarantees that European countries and the United States would offer Ukraine if Zelensky would accept an agreement to stop fighting.

Trump also spoke with President Vladimir V. Russia's Putin to start preparations for a possible direct meeting between Zelensky and the Russian leader, though it was not clear when, or even if such a session was to be held.

Here are five conclusions from the meeting:

A relatively united front was seen at the meeting

Three days after Trump made Putin a welcome to their meeting in Alaska and abandoned some of the main positions he had previously proclaimed, he led a discussion with the traditional American allies, where participants mainly highlighted joint points.

However, some differences came to the fore. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued that a ceasefire should be decided before further negotiations with Russia, but was gently rejected by Trump. While President Emmanuel Macron of France suggested he was skeptical if Putin was acting with confidence.

“I am not convinced that President Putin also wants peace,” he told reporters at a press conference.

But there were no clashes of the type that had marked a previous Zelensky visit to the White House.

All participants agreed with a plan to organise direct talks between Zelensky and Putin, while other issues would be considered later, such as the precise nature of the security guarantees for Ukraine, and whether, or what, Ukraine territory could be willing to deliver.

Trump spoke only vaguely about the security guarantees for Ukraine.

Trump said on social networks that the meetings had been productive and that leaders discussed the “security fund for Ukraine, which would be provided by different European countries, with a co-ordination with the United States. ”

Earlier, addressing reporters at the Oval Office, Trump was asked if the United States would send American troops to Ukraine as part of any peacekeeping effort. Trump did not give a direct answer, but said the United States would help “. ”

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European leaders urged Trump to seek a security guarantee similar to NATO's Article 5, meaning that an attack on Ukraine would be considered an attack on all NATO nations.

We will give them a very good defense and a very good security,” said Trump.

When asked what kind of security guarantees he wanted, Zelensky said: “everything. ”

Trump was involved in a moving diplomacy with Putin.

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Once named Putin a killer “dictator,” but Mr. Trump has long maintained a more positive attitude towards the Russian leader.

On Monday, Trump continued to portray Putin as sincere in wanting to find a way to end the war he had started. At one point, Trump interrupted his session with European leaders at the White House Eastern Hall to call the Russian leader.

Later, Trump brought Zelensky and European leaders to the Oval Office to describe the conversation with Putin, according to President Alexander Stubbb of Finland.

Russia and Ukraine will work for a possible Putin-Zelensky meeting.

Trump said in a post on social networks that Putin had called to start preparing a meeting between Zelensky and the Russian leader. He said he would then seek to meet with both leaders at a trilateral session.
But it remained unclear whether all sides agreed.

Yuri Usakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser, said in a statement that Putin and Trump had had a sincere and very constructive “phone conversation and a very constructive” for the meeting with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House. In diplomatic jargon, sincere “” often signals that the two sides did not fully agree.

The statement said Russian and American leaders had agreed to appoint senior negotiators for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, but did not mention whether Putin himself would participate.

While Putin has not flatly refused to meet with Zelensky, he has made it clear that he does not consider Ukrainian president either legitimate or equal to himself.

Zelensky said Ukraine would buy $90 billion of American weapons.

Trump has said he does not want to provide more assistance to Ukraine, but is willing to sell weapons to help Ukrainians face the Russian attack. Zelensky expressed particular interest Monday to secure more Patriot air defence systems to minimize damage from unscheduled Russian missile attacks.

Zelensky told reporters Monday that as part of any security guarantees, Ukraine would buy $90 billion American weapons across Europe and that the United States would buy fears from Ukraine. He said that a formal agreement had yet to be made. But an agreement of this magnitude would be a considerable step to ensure that Ukrainian forces continue to fight against Russia and have a strong defence in the country in case a peace agreement is reached. / NYTimes, adjust the post.al