Trump says Putin agrees to security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelensky says will discuss territory at trilateral meeting

Washington, Aug 19 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed during summit talks last week to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any peace deal.

"In a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine and this is one of the key points that we need to consider and we're going to be considering that at the table, also who will do what essentially," Trump said on Monday as he opened talks with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

Trump added that European nations would bear much of the responsibility for these guarantees.

"I think the European nations are going to take a lot of the burden. We're going to help them and we're going to make it very secure," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered a positive assessment of the discussions.

"We had a very good conversation with President Trump, and it really was the best one -- or, sorry, maybe the best one will be in the future," Zelensky said during an expanded meeting with European leaders.

Trump had signaled a resolution on security guarantees for Ukraine will be reached on Monday after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky.

"We will come to a resolution today, I think, on almost everything, including probably the security," Trump said in the East Room alongside Zelensky and European leaders.

Off the top of his remarks, Trump told Zelensky, "I have a feeling you and President Putin are going to work something out. Ultimately, this is a decision that can only be made by President Zelensky and by the people of Ukraine working also together in agreement with President Putin. And I just think that very good things are going to come of it."

The security terms could represent a compromise aimed at protecting Ukraine without allowing the nation to join NATO -- a step that Russia has long warned it wouldn't accept.

Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, earlier described such guarantees as "Article 5-like protections" that would be similar to what is granted to NATO member countries.

President Trump spelled out the objectives for his talks with European leaders, saying they would discuss "who will do what" as part of security guarantees for Ukraine and "possible exchanges of territory" to end the war.

"I'm optimistic that collectively, we can reach an agreement that would deter any future aggression against Ukraine, and I actually think there won't be," Trump added.

The President said the land concession issue would take "into consideration the current line of contact".

A delegation of European leaders, in a coordinated effort to support Kyiv, was at the White House meeting with President Donald Trump and holding discussions in an effort to shape the future of Western support for Ukraine.

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

After Zelensky and Trump came out of their meeting, they met several European leaders who were waiting in the executive residence of the White House.

They are NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The atmosphere inside the Oval Office for Monday's meeting between Trump and the Ukrainian President was far more collegial than the explosive fracas that played out in February, the last time Zelensky was in the room.

It was clear a lot of attention had been paid on the Ukrainian side to ensuring the talks didn't fall off the rails.

Zelensky came with a letter for Trump from his wife, and praised US first lady Melania Trump's message to Putin about children suffering during the war.

Zelensky said before the bilateral meeting that his country needs "everything" when it comes to security guarantees it requires to make a deal.

He said Ukraine first needs a strong army, which includes weapons, people, training and intelligence.

He added that all this would depend on "big countries", such as the US and other allies.

With the US' role in so-called security guarantees for Ukraine at the centre of Monday's talks, Trump didn't immediately rule out sending American troops into Ukraine to maintain an eventual peace.

He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin is expecting his call after today's meetings conclude, and he intends to raise the idea of a trilateral meeting among Putin, Zelensky and himself.

After Vice President J.D. Vance accused him of being ungrateful during the February meeting, Zelensky said the word "thanks" four times in the first 10 seconds of his short remarks.

"Thank you for invitation, and thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts, to stop killings and stop this war. Thank you for using this opportunity, many thanks to your wife," he said.

And Zelensky wore a suit — apparently a concession to Trump's displeasure at the military uniform he wore during the last meeting. His choice of attire made for a light-hearted moment.

Unlike February, Trump's delegation stayed silent for Monday's meeting.

Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were all on the sofa in the Oval Office for the meeting.

President Donald Trump made a quip about not holding elections during war time after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is open to holding a presidential election once his country’s conflict with Russia has ended.

Zelensky told reporters in the Oval Office alongside Trump that it is not possible to hold elections while the conflict is ongoing, a stance he's previously stated publicly.

"We need a truce everywhere — in the battlefield, in the sky and the sea to make (it) possible for people to do democratic, open, legal" elections, he said.

Trump then added that, in three-and-a-half years, "if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections?" That's when Trump's second term is slated to end.

"Oh, that's good," Trump said.

President Trump said he likes "the concept" of a ceasefire but he downplayed his earlier call for one, advocating instead for a broader peace deal.

"I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason: because you'd stop killing people immediately, as opposed to in two weeks, or one week, or whatever it takes," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office while meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"We're working on a peace deal while they're fighting, they have to fight. I wish they could stop. I'd like them to stop, but strategically, that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other," Trump added.

"I can also understand strategically, why, well, you know, one country or the other wouldn't want it. You have a ceasefire, and they rebuild and rebuild and rebuild. And you know, maybe they don't want that."

The US President also said he "didn't do any ceasefires" in other conflicts that he's claimed to resolve.

Amid intense discussions of war and peace, a lighthearted moment occurred in the Oval Office as Zelensky's choice of a black suit was noted by a reporter and President Trump.

"You look fabulous in that suit," said the reporter, who questioned Zelensky's choice of outfit during his visit to the White House in February.

"I said the same thing," Trump exclaimed.

"You're in the same suit," Zelenksy told the reporter. "I changed, you have not."

Zelensky's attire was discussed between US and Ukrainian officials ahead of Monday's talks between the Ukrainian leader and Trump, a European official said, with the understanding that Zelensky should not arrive wearing his usual green military sweatshirt.

Trump was displeased when Zelensky arrived at the White House in February wearing his military uniform, quipping that he'd gotten "all dressed up".

--IANS

int/khz