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The atmosphere in the Oval Office on Monday, August 18, felt very different from the tense February clash between the two leaders.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a group of European leaders are meeting with Donald Trump at the White House for critical talks on the war with Russia, as the US president puts the onus on Ukraine to reach a peace deal.
After a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump has increased pressure on Kiev to cede territory to Moscow. Zelensky has warned that doing so would mean Ukraine would lose key defensive positions and be more vulnerable to future Russian attacks.
Kiev and its allies are pushing for security guarantees to protect the future of Ukraine and Europe more broadly. Trump's envoy to Russia suggested on Sunday that "Article 5-like" protection was on the table for Ukraine, a reference to NATO's mutual defense provisions.
3 key takeaways from the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
Trump and Zelensky answered questions from the media in the Oval Office for 25 minutes, kicking off a long day of meetings with European leaders at the White House.
But what were the 3 spicy moments?
The atmosphere in the Oval Office on Monday, August 18, felt very different from the tense February clash between the two leaders. Trump was cordial, saying he wanted to see an end to the war. “It’s an honor to have the president of Ukraine with us. We’ve had a lot of good discussions, a lot of good talks, and I think progress is being made,” Trump said. Zelensky began the meeting by thanking Trump for his efforts while wearing a suit, a move that was noticed by both the president and the journalist who attacked the Ukrainian president in February for his attire.
On security guarantees and NATO: Some of the latest news was that Trump did not rule out US troops on the ground in Ukraine. He reiterated that while Europe will take a leading role in providing security, the US will “help.” “We’ll discuss it today, but we’ll give them very good protection, very good security,” Trump said of the suggestion that he is willing to offer NATO-like protection for Ukraine.
On what Trump wants from today: Trump wants a three-way meeting with both Zelensky and Putin, which he sees as the next step in ending the war. He also offered a possible glimpse into what the ongoing talks might look like. Trump said a ceasefire is not necessary, which could mean the fighting could continue while Putin extends the talks. As for the Russian leader, Trump said he plans to call him after Monday's meetings. "We'll have a call right after these meetings today. And we may or may not have a three-way meeting. If we don't have a three-way meeting, then the fighting continues," Trump said before the media was escorted out of the Oval Office. "I think if we have a three-way meeting, I think there's a good chance we can get it done. But [Putin] expects my call when we're done with this meeting."
Trump supports Putin's stance
Trump said Russia and Ukraine do not need to reach a ceasefire to reach an agreement to end the fighting, endorsing Putin's stance and downplaying the possibility of immediate US sanctions.
Without a ceasefire, Putin can pretend to be committed to a process or engage in diplomacy while continuing to fight without any new sanctions or other pressure from Washington, thus prolonging the war rather than ending it.
Trump said that “I don’t think you need a ceasefire. I know it might be good to have one, but I can also understand strategically why, you know, one country or the other wouldn’t want it.”
Europe and Ukraine see the threat of new US sanctions as an important tool to force Putin to seriously engage and make concessions. With Trump having all but taken these off the table, Putin could “include him.”
Trump defends Zelensky from journalists
Trump has gone to great lengths to shield Zelensky, in stark contrast to the Ukrainian leader's recent visit to the Oval Office, from reporters' questions.
Asked about NATO membership and security guarantees for Ukraine, Trump acknowledged the question, saying firmly that nothing had been decided yet and hinting that this would be discussed with European leaders later.
He previously said: "There will be a lot, a lot of help when it comes to security. There will be a lot of help. It will be good." /Adapted from Politico/
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