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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy affirmed that Ukraine is prepared for diplomatic talks with Russia at any level, including a direct bilateral meeting between the two nations’ leaders. Speaking to the media during a visit to Washington, Zelenskyy emphasized that only discussions at the level of heads of state could address the complex and sensitive issues stemming from years of conflict.
The announcement came following a joint coordination meeting in the White House involving Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, and a group of European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also participated in the discussions.
According to Zelenskyy, the meeting focused heavily on security guarantees for Ukraine. “We are ready for any format at the level of leaders, because only at this level can we resolve all those complex, painful issues,” he said.
“Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine. After 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself. Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.”
The White House meetings included bilateral discussions between Zelenskyy and Trump, where security guarantees formed a central topic. Zelenskyy stressed the role of international support, noting that Ukraine’s security depends on collective backing from the United States and European allies. Talks also explored specific security commitments from more than 30 members of the Coalition of the Willing, as well as plans for prisoner exchanges and the return of children abducted during the conflict.
Zelenskyy presented Trump with a golf club belonging to Junior Sergeant Kostiantyn Kartavtsev, a wounded Ukrainian soldier who lost a leg during the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Trump accepted the gift and returned the symbolic keys to the White House to the Ukrainian leader.
European leaders highlighted the broader implications of the talks for continental security. German Chancellor Merz and French President Macron emphasized the importance of a ceasefire as a precondition for substantive negotiations, while Italian Prime Minister Meloni and Finnish President Stubb stressed unity and historical perspective in addressing the conflict. U.K. Prime Minister Starmer described the day as a potentially historic moment in pursuing peace.
The discussions also addressed Ukraine’s post-conflict reconstruction and investment opportunities, viewed as an essential component of long-term stability.