Trump at the White House with Zelensky: Washington will help protect Ukraine

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump stated today that Washington will be involved in ensuring Ukraine's security, ahead of meetings at the White House with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders on efforts to silence the guns in Ukraine.

- When it comes to security, there will be a lot of help. They are the first line of defense because they are there. Europe, but also we will help them, we will be involved - said Trump, while Zelensky sat next to him, in a conversation with journalists before the meeting of the two presidents.

This is Zelensky's first visit to the White House since his heated exchange with Trump in the Oval Office in February. The atmosphere was significantly different this time, the two men shared smiles and jokes.

Zelensky first thanked Trump for his "efforts to stop the killings". He then recalled the 18-month-old baby who was killed earlier today in a Russian attack on Kharkiv.

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday in Alaska, after which the US President suggested that "great progress" had been made in talks on the conditions for peace.

Western media reported that Putin proposed a peace agreement that would involve Ukraine's withdrawal from a large part of the territory in the Donbas region.

This caused alarm in Kyiv and European capitals, which fear that withdrawal from heavily fortified areas would leave Ukraine dangerously exposed to further Russian attacks.

Some security guarantees for Ukraine also seem to have been discussed in Alaska, but no clear details about them have been released.

At that meeting, neither Trump nor Putin answered journalists' questions. In the Oval Office, things were very different, where both Trump and Zelensky answered questions.

Trump said that talks with European leaders after the bilateral meeting with Zelensky will include a discussion of security guarantees and that, if all goes well, a trilateral meeting with him, Putin, and Zelensky will be scheduled.

- Everyone will be involved. When it comes to security, there will be a lot of help - Trump announced.

He added that after the diplomatic meetings at the White House, he will invite Putin to organize a trilateral meeting.

Previously, his envoy Steve Witkoff suggested that Russia had agreed to "Article 5-like protections" for Ukraine, referring to NATO's mutual defense clause.

Witkoff did not provide details, and shortly before Zelensky arrived at the White House, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement stating that it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine as part of any solution.

After the bilateral talks, Zelensky and Trump will be joined by other leaders - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

"We have never had so many European leaders here at the same time. A great honor for America," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network earlier in the day.

Zelensky announced his visit to Washington on Saturday, after which European leaders quickly announced they would join the talks, as diplomacy to end the continent's largest conflict since World War II appears to be entering a crucial phase.

The goal, Trump said, is "long-term peace," adding that a ceasefire, his earlier proposal that Zelensky accepted but Putin did not, is not necessary.