European leaders praise Trump's peace efforts at White House meeting with Zelensky

Washington, Aug 19 (IANS) European leaders lauded US President Donald Trump for hosting them along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday afternoon and helping to press for an end to the war in Ukraine.

Earlier on Monday, Trump told Zelensky he would give Ukraine "very good protection and very good security" when asked about security guarantees for Ukraine, a key demand Zelensky is seeking in exchange for an agreement to end the war with Russia.

European leaders, who met with Trump and Zelensky after their sitdown, included UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

A closed-door meeting between Trump, Zelensky and the European leaders began just before 3:30 p.m. EDT.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that the meeting with US President Donald Trump could be a "historic step" for Ukraine and Europe's security.

"I think we could take a really important step forward today, a historic step actually could come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe," Starmer said on Monday during a meeting with Trump and European leaders at the White House.

The British leader said Trump's indication of "Article-5 style" security guarantees corresponds with the work the "Coalition of the Willing" — Ukraine's main European allies — has been doing for the past months.

He added the coalition is "prepared to step up to the plate" when it comes to ensuring Ukraine's security.

NATO Article 5 is the “collective defence” part of the alliance's treaty, which stipulates that an attack against one is considered an attack against all the allies and members will take mutual action.

Trump has previously been dismissive of Kyiv's frequent calls for security guarantees — some way to ensure that Russia won't violate a ceasefire agreement or renew its offensive in Ukraine in a few years.

President Trump said he planned to bring European leaders back to the Oval Office before they depart on Monday, an add to the schedule that a White House official attributed to the fact that "everything is going well".

Trump met with the European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the East Room of the White House on Monday afternoon.

Earlier on Monday, Trump told Zelensky he would give Ukraine "very good protection and very good security" when asked about security guarantees for Ukraine, a key demand Zelensky is seeking in exchange for an agreement to end the war with Russia.

European leaders, who met with Trump and Zelensky after their sitdown, included UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

A closed-door meeting between Trump, Zelensky and the European leaders began just before 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb praised Trump for the progress made in talks to resolve Russia's war in Ukraine.

"I think in the past two weeks, we've probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three and a half years," he said on Monday, pointing to the symbolic nature of the leaders gathering to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

Stubb reminded listeners that his country, Finland, shares a border with Russia for more than 800 miles.

He also nodded to the two countries' shared history. Finland was an autonomous part of the Russian empire from 1809 to 1917.

Finland joined the NATO in April 2023, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drove the formerly non-aligned country to abandon its neutrality and seek protection within the US-led alliance.

"The path is open" for more serious negotiations to be held on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a meeting with Trump and Zelensky at the White House.

Merz said that Trump opened that path after the US President met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

"Now the way is open for complicated negotiations," he said.

Merz reiterated that the European leaders are eager to see a ceasefire before more talks are held.

"I can't imagine that the next meeting will take place without a ceasefire," he said.

"So let's work on that."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that President Trump's offer of security guarantees for Ukraine amounts to a "breakthrough" in securing a potential peace deal for Ukraine.

"The fact that you have said 'I am willing to participate in the security guarantees' is a big step, it's really a breakthrough, and it makes all the difference. So also thank you for that," Rutte said to Trump in a multilateral meeting alongside Zelensky and European leaders in the White House.

Speaking earlier on Monday in the Oval Office alongside Zelensky, Trump did not immediately rule out sending US troops to Ukraine to help maintain a potential peace deal.

"We'll let you know that, maybe later today," Trump said.

Rutte also thanked the American President for "breaking the deadlock" and successfully bringing President Putin to the table for peace talks.

As President Trump pushes toward a three-way meeting between himself, President Putin and Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron offers an idea: a European leader at the table as well.

"I think as a follow up, we would need probably a quadrilateral meeting. Because when we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent," he said.

It seems unlikely Trump will warm to that idea, at least in the near term, as he works toward ending the war.

But Macron's point underscores how much is at stake not only for Ukraine in the Monday talks, but also the rest of Europe.

President Trump walked out to cameras at the White House alongside Zelensky and European leaders. They stood quietly in a line and posed for a photo.

Trump stood in the middle, flanked by Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron, following which they sat for a multilateral meeting inside the East Room.

The US President has said he called President Putin after holding meetings with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House, adding he "began the arrangements" for a discussion between the leaders of the two warring countries.

Trump also paused his meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to speak with Putin, CNN reported, adding the European officials were not present for the conversation.

The US President said in a Truth Social post on Monday that the location of the meeting is yet to be determined and noted that after the proposed gathering between Zelensky and Putin, he will join the two Presidents for a trilateral meeting.

Trump, speaking alongside European leaders at the White House, said on Monday afternoon that he would float the idea of a trilateral meeting to Putin, who has said he would only meet with Zelensky after the details of a peace deal were negotiated.

The US President, who initially said "we may or may not have a trilat," later said it was a matter of "when, not if" he would come together with Putin and Zelensky, adding, "I think if we have a trilat, there's a good chance of maybe ending (the war)."

Trump expects Putin to release more than 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners following the trilateral meeting, though Russia has not accepted the meeting as of Monday afternoon.

--IANS

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