Overview

• After phoning Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump said he began arranging a face-to-face with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and proposed a later trilateral that would include himself.
• Trump confirmed he will not require a ceasefire before negotiations, a shift welcomed by Moscow and questioned by European leaders who urged a halt to fighting.
• He endorsed exploring “NATO-like” European security guarantees for Ukraine without committing U.S. troops, though he did not rule out some U.S. role.
• Trump relayed that Russia seeks to retain the entire Donbas in a settlement, a demand Ukraine and European leaders say is unacceptable.
• The White House session struck a warmer tone but yielded few specifics on borders, guarantees or sanctions; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Putin agreed to meet within two weeks, a claim not confirmed by U.S. accounts.