Washington: Kickstarting his meeting today at the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, offering brief remarks over his arrival here.
“It’s an honour to have the president of Ukraine with us,” Trump said at the start of their talks.
“We’ve had a lot of good discussions, a lot of good talks. And I think progress is being made — very substantial progress — in many ways.”
Highlighting the meeting’s importance, the US President told his Ukrainian counterpart that their discussion could pave the way for a trilateral session with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading to even better chances of reaching a full settlement, reports CBS News.
“If everything works out today, I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” he said, adding that the conflict is “never at the end of the road” as long as lives continue to be lost.
He further cast aspersions on his predecessor Joe Biden, blaming him for starting the conflict and called the ongoing war ‘Joe Biden’s war’ while maintaining that his own administration is determined to stop the bloodshed.
Zelensky, for his part, expressed gratitude for Trump’s “personal efforts” and extended his gratitude to First Lady Melania Trump, noting that she had sent a letter to Putin urging him to “let Ukrainian children grow up in peace.”
Regarding the question of security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe, Trump said, “We’re meeting with seven great leaders of great countries also. And we’ll be talking about that. They’ll all be involved.
“There’ll be a lot of help, when it comes to security, there will be a lot of help. It’s going to be good. They are a first line of defence because they’re there, they’re Europe. But we’re going to help them out also. We’ll be involved,” he assured.
This also marks a drastic shift in US’ security guarantees for Europe and Ukraine, as the President did not rule out sending American troops for Ukrainian defence, despite trying to reduce foreign military presence, while many in his second administration have asked for Washington to severely minimise its role in European security.
The Friday meeting in Anchorage pivoted the White House to a new strategy, with Trump dropping the idea of a ceasefire, which he claimed would be a lasting process, but rather seeking a permanent end to the war.
To this end, he also reportedly agreed with Putin over a land swap as a precondition for ending hostilities.
He further expressed optimism about reaching total peace, remarking “the war is going to end.”
“When it ends, I can’t tell you. But the war is going to end. And this gentleman wants it to end and Vladimir Putin wants it to end. I think the whole world is tired of it and we’re going to get it ended.”
He noted that while he had previously ended six other wars, Ukraine proved “the toughest one”, adding that he now viewed a ceasefire as unnecessary.
“I don’t think you need a ceasefire,” Trump told Zelensky, suggesting instead a lasting settlement.
After his meeting with Zelensky and the other European leaders, Trump said he would hold a phone call with Putin and left open the possibility of a trilateral meeting.
“I just spoke to President Putin indirectly, and we’re going to have a phone call right after these meetings today,” he told reporters.
“There may or may not be a trilateral meeting — but he’s expecting my call when we’re finished.”
UNI
