Trump and European Leaders Discuss Ukraine Security Guarantees at White House Meeting

"...The presence of the European allies was significant, as they had sought to reaffirm Trump’s full support for Ukraine after his recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the U.S. leader described as "very warm."..."

"...While publicly praising Trump for his efforts to end the war, the European leaders—including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte—also put forward a more nuanced argument...."

"...This was a concept Trump had at times resisted: that true peace must be built on a foundation of supporting Ukraine...."

"...In a show of support for the proposal, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the meeting a potential "historic step" for both Ukrainian and broader European security...."

"...Starmer confirmed that Trump’s proposal for "Article-5 style" security guarantees aligns with the work that Ukraine's main European allies, known as the "Coalition of the Willing," have been undertaking for months...."

"...He added that the coalition is "prepared to step up to the plate" when it comes to guaranteeing Ukraine's security...."

"...German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire as a condition for future negotiations: "I can't imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire."..."

"...Ukrainian and European officials have repeatedly called for a complete cessation of hostilities as a necessary precondition for good-faith peace negotiations with Russia...."

"...However, the Kremlin has consistently rejected these demands, insisting instead that Ukraine first make extreme concessions, such as disbanding its army and refusing to accept foreign military aid...."

"...Speaking alongside other European leaders on Aug. 18, Merz added that the credibility of the peace efforts depends on a ceasefire taking hold before more serious talks begin: "Let's try to put pressure on Russia, because the credibility of these efforts we are undertaking today are depending on at least a ceasefire from the beginning of the serious negotiations from next step on."..."

"...In response, Trump pushed back on the idea of a prerequisite ceasefire, citing his past experience in settling conflicts...."

"...He responded, "Well, we're going to let the President go over and talk to the President, and we'll see how that works out."..."

"...Trump then highlighted that in the six wars he claims to have settled, a ceasefire was not a necessary first step...."

"..."I haven't had a ceasefire. We just got into negotiations... So if we can do the ceasefire, great. And if we don't do a ceasefire – because many other points were given to us. Many, many points were given to us," Trump added...."