U.S. President Trump meets Ukraine President Zelenskyy for talks
U.S. President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday for talks on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Trump said the United States could work to negotiate an end to the conflict without requiring a ceasefire, a stance that aligns more closely with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met last week.
He also announced that he would speak by telephone with Putin later in the day, following his meetings with Zelenskyy and European allies.
“I just spoke to President Putin indirectly and we’re going to have a phone call right after these meetings today,” Trump told reporters. He added there was a possibility of a trilateral conversation involving himself, Zelenskyy, and Putin.
Trump added that Washington would play a role in providing security guarantees as part of any peace agreement, while stressing that European nations remained the “first line of defense” but that the U.S. would “help them out also.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he was open to holding elections once the conflict ends and safe conditions are restored.
“We need to work in parliament because during the war you can’t have elections,” he told reporters in the Oval Office, emphasizing that any vote must be democratic, legal, and open.
Elections in Ukraine remain suspended under martial law.
