Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met US president Donald Trump and European leaders in Washington on Monday for negotiations aimed at shaping the next stage of the war and possible peace with Russia. The meeting produced commitments to draft security guarantees for Ukraine and to organise direct talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin, but many central issues remained unsettled.
Trump called Putin from the White House during the talks and secured a tentative agreement for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders at the end of August. Plans were also set for a trilateral summit involving Trump, Putin, and Zelensky. The Kremlin has yet to confirm details, leaving uncertainty about Putin’s willingness to attend.
According to Zelensky, security guarantees will be formalised within a week to ten days. “It is important that the United States sends a clear signal that it is among the countries helping and coordinating security guarantees,” he said after the talks. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said details would be announced in coming days, calling US participation “a breakthrough”.
Zelensky also pledged that Ukraine will buy American weapons worth 90 billion dollars and host production of drones in partnership with the US.
The president of Finland Alexander Stubb, who attended the negotiations, said that the process had advanced. “There is a sense that we are moving towards some kind of peace path. The destination we do not yet know,” Stubb told reporters.
European leaders described the meeting as successful in terms of public diplomacy. UK prime minister Keir Starmer told the BBC he was “very satisfied” with the outcome, particularly on security guarantees. French president Emmanuel Macron said that Russia had rejected a ceasefire in earlier talks in Alaska with Trump. German chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed that a ceasefire was necessary before further negotiations. Trump disagreed, saying he did not believe a ceasefire was required.
The issue of territorial concessions remained unresolved. Trump suggested in Alaska that Ukraine would need to give up land to Russia as part of any peace deal. Zelensky said that questions of territory should be negotiated directly between Kyiv and Moscow. US secretary of state Marco Rubio told Fox News that concessions from both sides would be needed to reach peace.
The Washington meeting also placed pressure on Russia over the deportation of Ukrainian children. During earlier talks in Alaska, Trump handed Putin a letter from Melania Trump demanding their return. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen repeated the demand in Washington. Analysts warned that Moscow could use symbolic returns or link the issue to other demands.
Senior researcher Jussi Lassila from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs said the meeting created political momentum that will be difficult to reverse. “Pressure was directed towards the Kremlin. The next step is how Russia responds by blurring the content or playing for time, but that is now harder,” Lassila told Helsingin Sanomat.
He added that Putin failed in his attempt to split Europe and the United States. “Coordination between Europe and the US has been set in motion. This shows Putin has not succeeded in creating a rift.”
Still, many questions remain. The structure and enforcement of security guarantees are not yet known. The timing and location of a Putin–Zelensky meeting remain uncertain. Disagreement persists over whether a ceasefire is required. The role Russia might claim in the security arrangements is unclear.
For now, the Kremlin faces a situation where it must respond. The Washington talks placed the burden on Moscow, while Ukraine and its allies prepare rapid steps to formalise commitments.
HT
