A significant step towards ending the Ukraine war was taken on Monday night when US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a historic meeting at the White House.
WASHINGTON: On Monday, important progress was made towards ending the Ukraine war, which has been ongoing for three and a half years. At 11 PM Indian time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House and met with US President Donald Trump for approximately 45 minutes. During the talks, Zelenskyy expressed his desire to establish peace in Ukraine, stating that direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin were necessary for this. Trump also viewed this possibility positively, saying that Putin does not want war, so the possibility of restoring peace is b.
He indicated that if conditions are favorable, a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump, and Zelenskyy could be organized. Trump directly blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the war, calling him corrupt. Meanwhile, while Trump and Zelenskyy were talking in the Oval Office, major European leaders were present in a nearby room in support of Ukraine.
Trump Targets Former President Biden
In the meeting that started at 11 PM Indian time, the two leaders spoke for about 45 minutes. Zelenskyy reiterated that direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin are necessary to end the Ukraine war. Trump said that Putin also wants the war to end, so the possibility of peace has now become ber. Trump indicated that a trilateral meeting (Trump-Zelenskyy-Putin) could be held in the near future.
During the talks, Trump blamed his predecessor, President Joe Biden, for the war situation. He said that Biden's corrupt policies caused this war to drag on. However, his current focus is solely on establishing peace and providing security to Ukraine.
Presence of European Leaders
Prior to the meeting, key European leaders had arrived at the White House. These included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
All these leaders were sitting in a separate room, keeping an eye on the progress of the meeting. Trump later met with them and assured them of providing security guarantees to Ukraine in line with the European proposal.
$100 Billion Defense Deal
According to reports, Ukraine has agreed to purchase $100 billion worth of weapons from the United States. This deal will be completed with European financial cooperation. The aim of this deal is to strengthen Ukraine's defense capability and ensure future security guarantees. Trump expressed hope that if the trilateral talks are successful, Putin could release more than a thousand Ukrainian prisoners of war.
During the previous meeting in February 2025, there was a tense atmosphere between the two leaders, and the conversation reached heated arguments. But this time, the picture was completely different. Both Trump and Zelenskyy smiled several times and also had light-hearted conversations. After the meeting, Zelenskyy said that this was his most positive conversation so far.
