Trilateral U.S.-Ukraine-Russia Meeting a Possibility: Trump

U.S. President Donald J. Trump met today at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders to discuss options for ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also attended the talks.

Two separate sessions were held. The first was a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, followed by broader discussions involving NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Trump said a trilateral meeting between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia could be arranged if the talks progress.
“I think if everything works out well today, we’ll have a trilat and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” Trump said. “The people of Ukraine have suffered incredibly.”

The White House discussions followed Trump’s Aug. 15 summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where both sides addressed Ukraine’s security guarantees.
“The Alaska summit reinforced my belief that while difficult, peace is within reach,” Trump said. “President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is one of the key points that we need to consider.”

Trump added that European partners would take on much of the responsibility for Ukraine’s future security, with U.S. support. “When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help … they are the first line of defense, because they’re there — they’re Europe. But we’re going to help them out also. We’ll be involved.”

The president also acknowledged that peace talks will involve negotiations over territory and positions along the current front line. “We need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory, taking into consideration the current line of contact,” he said.

Trump stressed that any agreement must be durable. “We’re going to make sure that if there’s peace, the peace is going to stay long term. We’re not talking about a two-year peace, and then we end up in this mess again.”

Trump confirmed he had spoken with Putin before today’s meetings and planned to call him afterward. “If we don’t have a trilat, then the fighting continues. And if we do, we have a good chance of maybe ending [the war].”

He added that while he could not predict the timeline, both Kyiv and Moscow have expressed interest in a settlement. “This gentleman [Zelenskyy] wants it to end, and Vladimir Putin wants it to end. I think the whole world is tired of it, and we’re going to get it ended.”

Trump emphasized that the ultimate decision rests with Ukraine and Russia. “Ultimately, this is a decision that can only be made by President Zelenskyy and by the people of Ukraine working also together and in agreement with President Putin,” he said.