President Donald Trump has stated that the United States will guarantee Ukraine’s safety and security under an agreement aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. He gave this assurance during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Although Trump revealed that the United States would take measures to ensure Ukraine’s security, he did not specify what these measures would be. The meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the White House on March 18 was also attended by Western power leaders, who are supporters of Ukraine. These included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump met with these leaders to share information about the discussions held during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15. “In terms of security, [Ukraine] will receive significant assistance. [The West and NATO] are at the forefront of defense, but we [the United States] will also provide support,” Trump told reporters after the meeting. Zelensky welcomed Trump’s assurance of assistance in ensuring Ukraine’s safety and security. He also stated that the nature of this assistance would be determined within the next 10 days or so, and revealed that Ukraine had decided to purchase $90 billion worth of weapons from the United States.
Prior to the meeting between Ukrainian and Western leaders, the Russian Foreign Ministry had disclosed Russia’s vision regarding Ukraine’s security. The ministry stated that Russia opposes the deployment of NATO troops near the regional line connecting Russia and Ukraine. Analysts believe this vision could pose obstacles to Trump’s efforts to end the war. Zelensky and Trump said they hope formal talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine will begin in the near future. Trump’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war have gained momentum at a time when Russian forces are also making advances on the battlefield.
Trump said he had initiated efforts to hold formal consultations between Ukraine and Russia. He mentioned that he had called Putin and proposed this idea. Trump also stated that he was working on arranging important discussions between the three countries after holding a bilateral meeting between meeting between Putin and Zelensky. Although no agreement to end the war was reached during the meeting between Putin and Trump, analysts believe significant progress was made in the discussions. Putin has reportedly said that he would end the war if Zelensky agrees to cede Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, to Russian control. Trump is now urging Zelensky to accept this condition.
