Zelensky returns to the White House with a smile and diplomacy, sporting a different look
According to Irangate News Agency, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Monday with the aim of advancing the peace process and ending the three-year war with Russia to meet and discuss with U.S. President Donald Trump. This meeting took place just a few days after Trump’s controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a summit that, despite widespread expectations, did not lead to an agreement for a ceasefire.
Simultaneously, several European leaders also flew to Washington to participate in supplementary meetings to discuss the future of negotiations, security guarantees, and the possibility of a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to the White House to start new negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump, aiming to end the war in Ukraine. Several European leaders, who came to Washington a few days after Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska without achieving a ceasefire, were also present at this meeting.
Despite Trump’s optimistic statements and some cautious assessments from European partners regarding the Alaska summit, by Monday evening, no specific commitments regarding security guarantees or tangible steps for peace were seen.
Is a meeting between Putin and Zelensky on the agenda?
Trump wrote on his Truth Social page that he contacted Putin to prepare for direct negotiations between the Russian President and Zelensky. He said that after that bilateral meeting, a trilateral session with his presence would be held.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson also confirmed that Putin and Trump had a 40-minute phone conversation on Monday. Additionally, before the meeting with European leaders at the White House, an open microphone in the East Room recorded a brief conversation between Trump and Emmanuel Macron, where Trump apparently said, ‘I think he, Putin, wants to make a deal because of me.’
Zelensky has been requesting a direct meeting with Putin for months, an effort that might politically be seen as a statement against the lack of a Chinese peace will in Russia. However, Moscow has repeatedly not welcomed it. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian Presidential Office, stated that increasing the level of representatives from both sides for talks is worth considering.
European opposition to overlooking a ceasefire
This time, Trump did not consider the establishment of a ceasefire as a prerequisite for negotiations and said, ‘I don’t know if it’s necessary or not.’ However, European leaders, especially German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, did not accept this view. ‘I can’t imagine a meeting without a ceasefire. Let’s work on it and put pressure on Russia,’ he said.
Trump’s reference to security guarantees
Trump said that the U.S. will guarantee Ukraine’s security in any agreement. However, he did not specify the details and type of assistance. He did not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and added that Europe is the front line of defense, but the U.S. will also participate.
Zelensky also said in a press conference that these guarantees include a $90 billion arms deal encompassing anti-missile air systems and drones. This contract includes the purchase of Ukrainian drones by the U.S. to help their domestic production. He added that the mechanism for security guarantees will be developed within the next ten days.
Zelensky appeared with a charming and respectful tone
This time, Zelensky, who heard some criticisms for his military attire during his previous visit in February, came in formal attire and thanked Trump six times.
Trump praised this change. Zelensky brought a letter from the First Lady of Ukraine for Melania Trump and also garnered praise from European leaders, including Mark Rutte of NATO, who thanked Trump for his leadership, and Georgia Meloni, who said that with Trump, the conditions have changed.
1. Three critical steps for real peace: According to today’s newspaper analysis, approaching a peace agreement in Ukraine depends on three obstacles: the complete cessation of Russian attacks as a precondition for starting negotiations, no bargaining over borders or territories against international values and Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and the mandatory return of at least 19,500 children abducted in the conflict. All three cases, without clear mechanisms, make lasting peace impossible.
2. Breakthrough or deadlock: The enigma of American security guarantees: Analysis by The New Yorker magazine shows that Trump’s vague promises, without clear and binding guarantees, are not enough for Ukraine.
According to this analysis, Russia exploits ambiguous conditions to claim that the process is politicking, not a struggle for Western values, while Zelensky seeks irrevocable and long-term commitments, which are mostly rejected by Putin.
3. Market reflections and economic impact: Hopes for approaching peace caused European stock markets to jump to a six-month high, and the value of defense industry stocks decreased, indicating an expectation of potentially reduced military spending in the event of peace.
