Donald Trump will set up a private sit down between enemies Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin so they can discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

The US president pivoted from a trilateral meeting to setting up a private one between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents after a daylong meeting at the White House with Zelensky and seven European leaders.

‘At the conclusion of 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,’ wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening.

‘After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.’

Trump added that he discussed security guarantees for Ukraine with the leaders at the White House, which would be provided by ‘various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America’.

That marked a significant shift from six months ago, when Trump refused to offer security guarantees from America.

‘Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years,’ Trump wrote.

‘Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine.’

Trump interrupted his meeting with seven European leaders to call Putin for a private chat.

The call was an unexpected twist in the meeting with Zelensky and seven European leaders rushing to Washington, DC, three days after Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska.

Trump spoke with Putin for 40 minutes and they began making plans for the bilateral meeting. Trump called his meeting with European leaders ‘very good’.

Trump warmly received Zelensky early afternoon Monday nearly six months after their discussion in the same seats in the Oval Office descended into a shouting match.

Taking reporters questions Zelensky said he was open to a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump.

‘We need to stop this war to stop Russia and we need support American and European partners,’ he said.

‘We are ready for trilateral, as the president said. It’s a good signal about trilateral. I think this is very good.’

Trump and Zelensky’s meeting was good-natured and even sprinkled with some laughs with Trump joking that he could cancel the next election if the US was at war like Ukraine has.

But the gravity of the meeting was clear when the US president announced he would speak to Putin immediately after the meeting.

‘He is expecting my call when we’re finished with this meeting,’ Trump said.

‘We may or may not have a trilat. If we don’t have a trilat, then the fighting continues, and if we do, we have a good chance – I think if we have a trilat, there’s a good chance of maybe ending it.’

Zelensky wore a black combat suit without a tie for his first Oval Office meeting with Trump since their disastrous press conference in late February.

The presidents shook hands outside the White House and as reporters shouted questions, Trump said of Ukrainians: ‘We love them.’

The US president walked alongside Zelensky with other leaders following to take a family photo.Trump and Zelensky stood next to each other flanked by the other world leaders.

Trump said he is ‘optimistic’ they could reach to an agreement to ‘deter any future aggression against Ukraine’.

Trump added that they would talk about ‘the possible exchanges of territory’.

Zelensky told the leaders: ‘I think that we had a very good conversation with President Trump. We spoke about very sensitive points.’

Notably, he said to Trump, ‘Thank you for the map, by the way,’ suggesting that land swaps are being considered.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: ‘The fact that you have said “I am willing to participate in the security guarantees” is a big step, it’s really a breakthrough, and it makes all the difference. So also thank you for that.’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the ‘Coalition of the Willing’, which are Ukraine’s key allis in Europe, stand ‘prepared to step up to the plate’ to make sure security is guaranteed.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he could not ‘imagine the next meeting will take place without a ceasefire’.

Trump had said that six other wars he negotiated to end did not include ceasefires.

‘If we can get a ceasefire, great,’ he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that ‘everyone around this table wants peace’.

Simultaneously, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement opposing a NATO troops deployment in Ukraine as part of security guarantees.

‘We reaffirm our repeatedly stated position of categorical rejection of any scenarios involving the presence of a military contingent from NATO countries in Ukraine,’ it read.

The statement also criticised the UK for pushing the idea.

Reporter Brian Glenn of Real America’s Voice, who asked Zelensky about his more casual military sweatshirt during the last Oval Office meeting, complimented Zelensky’s attire of a black combat suit jacket without a tie.

‘You look fabulous in that suit,’ said Glenn.

Trump quipped: ‘I said the same thing. That’s the same one that attacked you last time.’

Zelensky told Glenn: ‘You’re in the same suit. I changed, you have not.’

The comment prompted laughter in the room.

Trump also told Zelensky, ‘Look, I like it!’

Zelensky replied: ‘It’s the best I have.’

Zelensky presented a letter to Trump from his wife to First Lady Melania Trump, who wrote to him urging a stop to the killings.

‘My wife, first lady of Ukraine, she gave the letter. It’s not to you – to your wife,’ Zelensky said, setting off more laughs.

Asked what security guarantees Zelensky is seeking, he replied: ‘Everything.’

Trump did not rule out sending American troops to ensure Ukraine’s security. He said it would be a topic of discussion and he could have an update on the matter later in the day.

‘Ukraine is ready for a real truce and for establishing a new security architecture. We need peace.’

Seven European leaders rushed to fly to Washington, DC, to support Zelensky in the high-stakes meeting.

The Ukrainian president has insisted that he will not give up land, but Trump’s meeting with Putin, which ended with the two apparently agreeing on several points, puts pressure on him.

Trump is leaning toward Putin’s demand that Ukraine give up some of its territory for a peace deal.

European leaders may have been coaching Zelensky on how to deal with Trump, who could’ve walked out of a meeting if he did not like the Ukrainian president’s behaviour.

Ahead of arriving in the White House, Zelensky slammed Russian overnight strikes on the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia that killed 10 people and left dozens of others injured.

‘This was a demonstrative and cynical Russian strike,’ wrote Zelensky on X.

‘They are aware that a meeting is taking place today in Washington that will address the end of the war. We will have a discussion with President Trump about key issues.’

Earlier on Monday, Zelensky met with Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.

‘We discussed the battlefield situation and our strong diplomatic capabilities – Ukraine’s and all of Europe’s together with America,’ wrote Zelensky on X.

‘Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and President Trump has that strength.’

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Putin has spent the day calling leaders of Brazil, India, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and South Africa, on what happened at the Alaska summit.

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