Three Things You Need to Know About Zelenskyy’s and European Leaders’ White House Visit
The high-profile meeting at the White House on Monday brought together Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump, and key European leaders.
The Gaze reports this, referring to the Fox News broadcast.
Discussions touched on prospects for peace, security guarantees, and immediate steps to ease the impact of the war. Here are three key takeaways:
1. Peace Deal Seen as Achievable
President Trump voiced confidence that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is within reach.
“I believe a peace agreement is achievable in the near future,” he said, while suggesting a possible prisoner swap of “1,000 for 1,000” after the meeting.
Pressed on the issue of an immediate ceasefire, Trump noted: “All six wars I stopped were resolved without a ceasefire. Of course, we’d all prefer one right away, but at the moment that is not happening.”
2. Europe Pushes Ceasefire and NATO-Style Guarantees
European leaders emphasized unity and security commitments. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said: “We have finally broken the deadlock.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for progress: “We would like to see a ceasefire already at the next meeting.”
French President Emmanuel Macron pressed the case for both a truce and stronger defense: “We all support the idea of a ceasefire before the trilateral meeting, along with security guarantees through the strengthening of Ukraine’s army.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni highlighted the long-term vision: “If we want to achieve peace and justice, we must stay united. We will discuss important points, security guarantees to ensure this war does not happen again, and talk about a model similar to NATO’s Article 5.”
3. Humanitarian Priorities Brought to the Fore
Humanitarian concerns were placed alongside political and military discussions. “Thank you for mentioning the thousands of abducted children. All children must be returned. This must be one of the priorities in the negotiations,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated.
Leaders also raised the plight of civilians under Russian attacks, the need to rebuild destroyed schools and hospitals, and to ensure that humanitarian corridors remain open during negotiations.