President Donald Trump opened the multilateral White House meeting to end the war in Ukraine by stating that the goal is “to stop the killing and end the conflict.” He complimented European leaders, called Ursula von der Leyen “more influential than anyone at the table,” and even jokingly asked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, “Where is that tan from?”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he had a “very good conversation” with Trump before the meeting, during which they discussed “many sensitive issues.” Trump said he expects a three-way meeting with Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, emphasizing that the question is “when, not if.” According to him, the decision can be made only by the Ukrainian people and Zelenskyy, in agreement with Putin.

The U.S. president expressed optimism that a solution could be reached today on almost all issues, including Ukraine’s security guarantees. According to his special envoy Steve Witkoff, these guarantees would be “similar to Article 5” of NATO. Trump clarified that discussions with European leaders concern “who will do what” on security and even a “possible exchange of territories,” noting that the “current line of contact” will be taken into account. He added that Putin had expressed readiness to accept such guarantees for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was also present, said optimistically: “Let’s make the most of today.” He thanked Trump repeatedly and described the U.S. commitment to security guarantees for Ukraine as a “breakthrough.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted that any future negotiations must begin with a ceasefire. “I cannot imagine the next meeting without such an agreement,” he said, emphasizing that confidence in the effort depends on Russia being pressed to stop the fighting. In this way Merz diverged from Trump, who places the emphasis on achieving a broader peace agreement.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that peace and justice can be achieved only through unity. French President Emmanuel Macron supported this position and added that the next step should be a four-way meeting with the Europeans, because “when we talk about security guarantees, we are talking about the security of the entire European continent.” Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, stated that in addition to ending the war, the return of Ukrainian children held in Russia remains a priority.

At the end of the public portion of the meeting, Trump noted that Putin is probably also seeking a solution, but warned that the outcome remains uncertain: “It may not work out. On the other hand, it may.” | BGNES