Washington (TDI): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to end the war, following high-level talks in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump and several European leaders.
It would mark Zelensky’s first direct encounter with Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
“I confirmed, and all European leaders supported me, that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin,” Zelensky told reporters after the summit at the White House.
The Ukrainian leader faces growing pressure to make territorial concessions as Russian forces continue to gain ground. Trump, ahead of the meeting, had urged Kyiv to accept the loss of Crimea and drop its ambitions to join NATO, two longstanding demands from Moscow.
Read More: Sensitive Territorial Issues to Surface in a Possible Putin-Zelenskyy Summit
Still, Zelensky insisted he had succeeded in conveying a clear picture of battlefield realities during his one-on-one meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. “This was the best of our meetings,” he said, noting he had used maps to explain Ukraine’s military situation.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who also attended the talks, stressed that discussions focused less on concessions and more on security guarantees should a peace deal be reached. Trump echoed that message, saying the United States and European partners would play a central role.
“When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” Trump said, adding that Europe would form the “first line of defense” while Washington provided additional support.
Zelensky welcomed the assurances as “a major step forward,” saying formal agreements could be drafted within 10 days. He also revealed Ukraine had proposed purchasing around $90 billion worth of U.S. weapons as part of broader defense commitments.
Read More: Trump Rules Out Ukraine Deal Without Zelensky
“The United States must send a clear signal that it will coordinate, assist, and participate in these guarantees,” Zelensky said.
The tone of Monday’s talks was notably more positive than Zelensky’s bruising White House encounter in February, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticized him.
Despite the warmer atmosphere, however, prospects for an actual peace deal still appear distant.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
