Trump tells Zelenskyy US would help with Ukraine's security in a peace deal

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday (Aug 18) that the US would help guarantee Ukraine's security in any deal to end Russia's war there, though the extent of any promised assistance was not immediately clear.

Trump made the pledge during an extraordinary summit at the White House, where he hosted Zelenskyy and a group of European allies two days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and months after a disastrous Oval Office meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticised the Ukrainian leader.

A peace deal appeared far from imminent, however.

Just before the talks began, Russia's foreign ministry ruled out the deployment of troops from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries to help secure a peace deal, adding complications to Trump's offer.

Both Trump and Zelenskyy said they hoped Monday's gathering would eventually lead to three-way talks with Putin. The Kremlin has not yet publicly accepted such a meeting, and it remains to be seen whether Putin, whose forces have been slowly grinding forward in eastern Ukraine, is prepared to sit down with Zelenskyy or make meaningful concessions.

In a social media post late on Monday, Trump said he had called Putin and begun arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, to be followed by a trilateral summit among the three presidents.

A source from the European delegation said Trump had told European leaders that Putin suggested he meet with Zelenskyy directly first.

The last direct talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Türkiye in June. Putin declined Zelenskyy's public invitation to meet him face-to-face there and sent a low-level delegation instead.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in audio remarks on Telegram on Monday that Trump and Putin had discussed "the possibility of raising the level of representatives from the Ukrainian and Russian sides - that is, those representatives participating in the mentioned direct negotiations".

Meanwhile, European leaders - who rushed to Washington in support of Ukraine - urged Trump to insist that Putin agree to a ceasefire in the three-and-a-half-year-old war before any talks can advance. Trump previously backed that proposal but reversed course after meeting with Putin on Friday, instead adopting Moscow's position that any peace agreement be comprehensive.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he liked the concept of a ceasefire, but the two sides could work on a peace deal while the fighting continued.

"I wish they could stop, I'd like them to stop," he said. "But strategically that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other."

Later in the day, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron both voiced support for a ceasefire as a prerequisite to any direct talks with Russia.

"I can't imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire," said Merz, seated with Trump and other leaders. "So let's work on that and let's try to put pressure on Russia."

Macron also said European leaders would eventually need to be included in any peace talks.

"When we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent," he told Trump.

Trump and Zelenskyy spoke in private before joining the rest of the European leaders for more than two hours of multilateral talks.

FRIENDLY TONE AFTER FEBRUARY DISASTER

Trump and Zelenskyy's meeting was starkly different in tone from their previous Oval Office encounter in February, which ended when Trump and Vance publicly upbraided Zelenskyy as not being grateful enough.

This time, the meeting appeared far more convivial, despite the US president's movement toward Russia in recent days. Zelenskyy struck a deferential tone, giving thanks at least eight times during his opening remarks to the media.

Zelenskyy was also backed by the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO, who travelled to Washington to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine and push for strong security guarantees for the country in any post-war settlement.

Trump greeted Zelenskyy warmly upon his arrival outside the White House, expressing admiration for Zelenskyy's black suit, a departure from his typical military clothes.

When a reporter asked Trump what his message was to the people of Ukraine, he said: "We love them."

Zelenskyy thanked him, and Trump put his hand on Zelenskyy's back in a show of affection before the two men went inside to the Oval Office.

Following their one-on-one discussion, Trump and Zelenskyy held broader talks with the European leaders.

Zelenskyy described the private talks with Trump as "very good" and said they had spoken about Ukraine's need for US security guarantees.

"This is very important, that the United States gives such a strong signal and is ready for security guarantees," Zelenskyy said.

Trump said he and Zelenskyy had covered "a lot of territory" during their discussion.

"When it comes to security, there's going to be a lot of help," Trump said, adding that European countries would be involved. "They are a first line of defence because they're there, but we'll help them out."

TRUMP UPS PRESSURE

Trump has pressed for a quick end to Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies worry he could seek to force an agreement on Russia's terms after the president on Friday rolled out the red carpet - literally - for Putin, who faces war crimes charges from the International Criminal Court.

Officials in Ukraine said Russian attacks overnight on Ukrainian cities killed at least 10 people, including a toddler, in what Zelenskyy called a "cynical" effort to undermine talks.

Trump has rejected claims that the Alaska summit had been a win for Putin, who has faced diplomatic isolation since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, and I don't need the advice of people who have been working on all of these conflicts for years, and were never able to do a thing to stop them," Trump wrote on social media.

Trump's team has said there will have to be compromises on both sides to end the conflict. But the president himself has put the burden on Zelenskyy, saying Ukraine should give up hopes of getting back Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, or of joining the NATO military alliance.

Zelenskyy has already all but rejected the outline of Putin's proposals from the Alaska meeting. Those include handing over the remaining quarter of its eastern Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russia.

Any concession of Ukrainian territory would have to be approved by a referendum.

The war has killed or wounded more than a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts, and destroyed wide swaths of the country.