In a recent appearance, President Donald J. Trump shared new details on his efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. He announced a proposed bilateral meeting between President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing it as a critical step toward ending the conflict. Trump said, “It takes two to tango,” stressing that he will only meet after Putin and Zelenskyy first meet and “if everything works out OK.”
Trump emphasized the urgency of the situation, recounting how, during a meeting with European leaders, he rejected delaying talks, warning, “A month or two!? You’re going to have another 40,000 people dead… you have to do it tonight.”
Although the U.S. ruled out deploying ground troops, Trump noted that assistance from air support could be on the table, with European allies taking primary responsibility for security guarantees—outside of NATO membership.
European responses have been cautiously optimistic. Leaders are engaging in discussions on coordinated security measures for Ukraine, even as the logistics of such commitments and Russia’s response remain uncertain.
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