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U.S. President Donald Trump shifted his position on a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire Monday after conducting closed-door talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House, moving from calling a ceasefire "unnecessary" to advocating for an immediate halt to fighting.
Trump said in an Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy earlier that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine was "unnecessary." After an hour of closed-door meeting with EU leaders and Zelenskyy, Trump then told reporters in the East Room that "all of us would obviously prefer the immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace."
He added that he likes a ceasefire because it would "immediately stop the killing," but reiterated that a peace agreement between the two countries is "very attainable" at this point in the war.
During the gathering, Trump indicated that resolving the conflict would require Ukraine to consider ceding land currently under Russian occupation.
"We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory, taking into consideration the current line of contact," Trump said before the leaders entered closed-door discussions, referring to Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
The meeting brought together German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine, though he provided no specifics on what those guarantees would entail.
"I believe that in a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine," Trump said. "I'm optimistic that collectively, we can reach an agreement that would deter any future aggression against Ukraine."
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Zelenskyy described the talks as a "good conversation" and said security guarantees were among the "sensitive points" discussed. He expressed satisfaction that Trump and European leaders were committed to Ukraine's security needs.
"This is very important that United States gives such [a] strong signal, and is ready for security guarantees," Zelenskyy said, though he did not elaborate on the nature of those guarantees.
European leaders emphasized the urgency of achieving a ceasefire. Merz said he could not envision future negotiations proceeding without one, while Macron called a ceasefire "a necessity."
The discussions come as European leaders frame Ukraine's security as critical to continental stability. Macron said security guarantees for Ukraine concern "the whole security of the European continent," while Starmer characterized the meeting as potentially "a historic step" for European security.
Trump indicated he would call Putin following the talks and mentioned plans for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States. The tone between Trump and Zelenskyy appeared markedly friendlier than their previous February meeting, with both leaders exchanging jokes and laughter during the public portions of the session.
Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky expressed hope that the White House meetings would build on what he described as Trump's productive talks with Putin in Alaska last Friday, saying Russia welcomed the opportunity for "long and lasting peace."
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