Russian and Ukrainian presidents — Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky — appear to be heading toward a peace summit after rapid negotiations between Donald Trump and European leaders focused on the key issue of long-term security guarantees for Kyiv, AFP reported. Hopes for a breakthrough grew after Trump said he had held a phone call with his Russian counterpart — whom he met last week in Alaska — following his “very good” meeting with Europeans and the Ukrainian president at the White House.

If realized, this would be the first meeting between Putin and Zelensky since the start of the Russian invasion nearly three and a half years ago, and the initiative comes at a time when Trump is seeking to fulfill his pledge for a swift end to the war. Seventy-nine-year-old Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social: “Everyone is very happy about the opportunity for PEACE between Russia and Ukraine.” “After the meetings I called President Putin and began arranging a meeting, at a place to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky,” Trump said, adding that he then plans a trilateral meeting with the two leaders.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Putin had agreed to a bilateral meeting within the next two weeks, but the date and venue are not yet confirmed. Zelensky himself told reporters outside the White House that he is “ready” for a bilateral conversation with one of his most fierce adversaries — Putin, whose actions have led to tens of thousands of deaths. At the Kremlin, a presidential aide said Putin is open to the “idea” of direct talks with Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine remains largely stalemated despite some Russian offensives, and Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska did not produce a truce. After that meeting, Zelensky quickly traveled to the White House, where talks with Trump often included pressure from the American side for concessions from Ukraine. Throughout the day leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, representatives of the European Commission and NATO joined — an overt sign of support. Zelensky also held a one-on-one Oval Office meeting with Trump — their first there since the tensions in February — and described it as “the best so far,” without many of the scenes in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance had chided him on camera for “insufficient gratitude.” Trump even praised Zelensky for his black jacket after the Ukrainian leader had been criticized by the far-right press for not changing out of his military clothing on a previous visit.

During the talks Trump said he had discussed Ukraine’s security guarantees and that Putin had agreed to the idea, although he rejected Kyiv’s late aspiration for NATO membership. “The guarantees will be provided by various European countries, in coordination with the United States,” Trump said. NATO chief Mark Rutte described the meeting as “very successful” and said the focus had been on guarantees and greater U.S. engagement, with details to be worked out in the coming days. Zelensky said allies would formalize guarantees for Ukraine within 10 days.

The presence of European leaders, however, also amplified concerns that Trump might shift his position in Putin’s favor, as has happened before. In preparations for the meeting Trump had insisted Ukraine give up Crimea and abandon its bid for NATO membership — demands Moscow has long pressed. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that sanctions on Russia would be tightened if Putin did not make progress in peace talks. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Putin is not a trustworthy partner. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz categorically rejected the idea of forcing Ukraine to cede Donbas, making a blunt comparison: “Russia’s demand that Kyiv give up the free parts of Donbas is, to put it bluntly, equivalent to proposing that the United States should give up Florida.” | BGNES