Donald Trump revealed there are plans underway for a historic showdown between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin after a 40-minute phone call with the Russian leader.
Trump said he called Putin following a White House summit with the Ukrainian president and other European leaders at the White House Monday.
The president said on social media that he and Putin began the arrangements for a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, at a location to be determined.
Following that diplomatic showdown, Trump said he will then sit down with both leaders.
‘This was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years,’ he said.
Although Trump did not announce a timeframe, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said afterward that Trump and Putin ‘agreed that there will be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks.’ He said the venue must still be agreed upon.
The German leader reiterated that it would be ‘desirable, and more than that, that there be a ceasefire in Ukraine at the latest with this meeting.’
‘President Zelenskyy, for his part, said that he can hardly imagine having such a meeting with Putin without there being a ceasefire,’ he added.
Donald Trump (pictured right) says there are plans underway for an historic meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured left)
After meeting with Zelenskyy (pictured left) and European leaders Monday, Trump (pictured right) said on social media that he called Putin and began the arrangements for a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, at a location to be determined
Trump revealed that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine.
‘During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America. Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
‘At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.’
Russia state news agency Tass cited Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov as saying the two presidents ‘spoke in favor’ of continuing direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Ushakov said they also discussed ‘the idea of raising the level of the direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.’
It came after a hot mic moment Monday, where Trump appeared to be reassuring French President Emmanuel Macron that Putin was serious about making peace in Ukraine.
‘I think he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal for me,’ Trump whispered to Macron in the White House East Room before their meeting started. ‘Do you understand that? As crazy as it sounds.’
Macron appeared skeptical that Putin was serious about ending the three and a half year conflict that Russia had started.
President Donald Trump (left) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the West Wing of the White House in Washington
Trump gathered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a handful of European leaders at the White House on Monday for a debrief of sorts after his high stakes meeting with Putin on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
While Trump said alongside Putin on Friday that they had had an ‘extremely productive meeting,’ Trump was unable to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire, with the Russian leader resistant to stopping the fighting telling reporters that Russia still needed to ‘eliminate the primary roots, the primary causes, of that conflict.’
The European leaders were gathered in Washington to discuss next steps – including security guarantees and getting kidnapped Ukrainian children back.
Trump first met with Zelensky in the Oval Office before leading a discussion in the East Room with the bigger group.
The president invited NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Macron to take part.
Zelensky’s meeting in the Oval Office took on a dramatically different tone than the showdown in late February. Both Trump and Zelensky were on better behavior.
The Ukrainian leader showed up in a black tie-less suit, which Trump immediately complimented.
‘We love them, we love them,’ Trump told reporters when asked if he had a message for the Ukrainian people.
President Donald Trump hosted (from left) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the East Room on Monday
In February Trump told Zelensky ‘you don’t have the cards,’ pushing him to be more ‘thankful.’
On Monday, Trump didn’t take the bait when asked which side – Ukraine or Russia – had the better cards.
‘Well, I don’t want to say that,’ the president answered.
Trump had a little fun in the Oval when reporter Brian Glenn, a White House correspondent for Real America’s Voice who dates Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, complimented Zelensky’s outfit.
‘President Zelensky, you look fabulous in that suit,’ Glenn said.
‘I said the same thing,’ Trump said, then telling the Ukrainian president of Glenn, ‘that’s the one that attacked you last time.’
Glenn had shamed Zelensky for wearing a black long-sleeved shirt instead of a classic suit.
‘I remember,’ Zelensky responded. ‘But you are wearing the same suit,’ he teased Glenn.
President Donald Trump (center) hosted (from left) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte
After his meeting with Zelensky, Trump joined the other leaders in the Cross Hall for a ‘family photo.’
The leaders didn’t smile, but Trump couldn’t help commenting on the White House entranceway’s new decor – the ‘fight, fight, fight’ image he had installed where former President Barack Obama’s portrait used to hang.
‘That was not a great day,’ Trump commented, referencing the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt.
Once inside the East Room, Trump was caught whispering with Macron, telling him his hope to get a trilateral meeting, which would be attended by Trump, Zelensky and Putin. Zelensky struck a positive tone about the Oval Office meeting.
‘We had very good conversation and it really was the best one – maybe the best one will be in the future. But it was really good,’ the Ukrainian leader said.
Both Merz and Macron publicly pushed Trump to try and get a ceasefire as negotiations with the Russians continued after Ukrainian civilians continued to be killed over the weekend.
‘Let’s try and put pressure on Russia, because the credibility of this effort, these efforts were are undertaking today, are depending on at least a ceasefire from the beginning of the serious negotiations, from next stop on,’ Merz said.
‘I would like to emphasize this aspect and would like to see a ceasefire from the next meeting, which should be a trilateral meeting, wherever it takes place,’ the German chancellor added.
Trump had previously said he had three locations in mind for a second meeting, floating a return to Alaska as well.
Macron echoed Merz’s comments.
‘In order to organize such a trilateral meeting, your idea to ask for a truce, or ceasefire, at least to stop the killing as we discuss is a necessity and we all support this idea,’ the French president said.
Macron also pitched there be a future meeting between Trump, Putin, Zelensky and the European leaders.
‘I think as a follow up, we would need probably a quadrilateral meeting,’ Macron suggested. ‘Because when we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent.’
As the press was leaving, Trump got caught on hot mic again.
‘You do this everyday?’ Stubb could be heard saying as reporters were ushered out after yelling questions their way.
‘All the time,’ Trump answered.
Meloni chimed in, ‘But he loves it, he loves it,’ she said, noting how she doesn’t like engaging with her press.
Trump then told Meloni that Stubb was a ‘very good golfer you know.’
‘I know, I know. But he says you always win,’ the Italian leader told Trump.
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