'Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,' says US president
Negotiations over key components of a prospective deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine continued Monday evening as US President Donald Trump, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European officials headed into a second round of closed-door talks.
Serhii Nikiforov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's presidency, confirmed that negotiations are continuing in the Oval Office in a "leaders only" format after officials concluded expanded talks in the East Room.
Leaders were expected to address several key components of a peace deal, including security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial swaps between Moscow and Kyiv. Progress on the matters remains unclear.
Among the officials who are participating in the talks are UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is also participating.
Trump said the meeting was "very good" and addressed security guarantees for Ukraine, including which commitments "would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America."
"Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine. At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President (Vladimir) Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy," he said on the American social media platform 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. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine," he added.
