U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged that the United States would help guarantee Ukraine’s security as part of any future peace agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The commitment was made during a high-stakes summit at the White House, where Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and a coalition of European leaders.
“When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” Trump told reporters. “They [Europeans] are a first line of defence because they’re there, but we’ll help them out.”
Zelenskiy welcomed the assurance, calling it “a major step forward,” and confirmed that the security guarantees would be “formalized on paper within the next week to 10 days.” He also revealed that Ukraine had offered to purchase approximately $90 billion worth of U.S. weapons.
Despite the optimistic tone, a peace deal remains elusive. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, urged Trump to press Russian President Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire before advancing negotiations. Trump, however, appeared to shift his stance after meeting Putin in Alaska last Friday.
“I wish they could stop, I’d like them to stop,” Trump said. “But strategically that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other.”
Macron emphasized the broader implications of the talks, stating:
“When we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent.”
Trump announced plans to arrange a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy, followed by a trilateral summit involving all three leaders.
According to sources, Hungary has been floated as a possible venue, with the meeting expected within two weeks.
The Kremlin has not officially confirmed its participation, but Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev described the Washington summit as “an important day of diplomacy,” reiterating Moscow’s preference for a comprehensive peace deal over a temporary ceasefire.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte clarified that Ukraine’s membership in the alliance is not currently under discussion. Instead, talks are focusing on NATO-style security guarantees akin to Article 5, which obligates collective defense among member states.
Trump’s team has suggested that Ukraine may need to compromise on key issues, including its aspirations to reclaim Crimea and join NATO.
Zelenskiy has publicly rejected proposals from Putin that would require Ukraine to cede additional territory in the Donetsk region.
The war, now in its fourth year, has claimed over a million casualties and devastated large parts of Ukraine. The last direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in Turkey in June, but yielded no breakthrough.
Monday’s summit marked a significant diplomatic moment, with Zelenskiy receiving strong backing from European leaders and a notably warmer reception from Trump compared to their contentious February meeting.
“We love them,” Trump said when asked about his message to the Ukrainian people, placing a hand on Zelenskiy’s back in a rare public gesture of support.
As talks continue, the international community watches closely for signs of progress toward ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
