Picture this: a star-studded summit at the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and seven key European leaders came together to chase peace 🕊️.
The day kicked off with a face-to-face chat between Trump and Zelenskyy. Standing side by side, Trump told reporters he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin 'wants the conflict to end' and is ready to back Ukraine's security guarantees 🤝.
Zelenskyy jumped in, saying he supports a diplomatic solution and is prepared for a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin to hash out the tough stuff, including territorial questions.
Next up was a big-group huddle featuring NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
All eyes were on a ceasefire. German Chancellor Merz said he 'can't imagine the next meeting without a ceasefire.' Macron even floated a quadrilateral format, adding that Europe's security is on the line 🌍.
Surprise twist: Trump paused the talks to call President Putin and posted on Truth Social that he's arranging a meeting between Putin, Zelenskyy and himself 'as soon as we can'.
The White House meetup built on last week's three-hour session between Trump and Putin in Alaska, which ended without a deal. Now, all parties are betting on fresh talks to finally bring lasting peace.
Reference(s):
Trump, Zelensky, European leaders hold talks on Ukraine crisis
cgtn.com
