On Monday, an unprecedented lineup of international leaders gathered at the White House: U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and seven top European figures. The agenda? Security guarantees for Ukraine 🛡️ and the idea of a future trilateral meeting with Russia.
European attendees included:
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
- French President Emmanuel Macron
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
- Finnish President Alexander Stubb
The talks pushed beyond a simple handshake. During his one-on-one with Zelenskyy, Trump hinted that U.S. troops might play a role in the security package but left the details open, deferring to the broader group meeting. “We’re going to help them out also. We’ll be involved,” Trump said, without spelling out exact support.
At the multilateral session, “security guarantees” surfaced nearly 20 times as leaders mulled models based on NATO’s collective defense principle. Zelenskyy stressed that a strong U.S. signal on guarantees is vital and said final details should be locked in within 10 days. Meanwhile, Ukraine is eyeing a multibillion-dollar purchase of U.S. weapons, with European partners pitching in to foot the bill.
Next up: ironing out whether a ceasefire should precede talks with the Russian side and hammering out the financial and troop commitments needed to shield Ukraine. The global spotlight is on – and the countdown is on for a game-changing security pact.
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What did Trump, Zelenskyy and European leaders discuss at White House?
cgtn.com
