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US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed optimism their summit with European leaders could result in trilateral talks with Vladimir Putin over ending the Russian leader’s war in Ukraine.
The White House meeting came days after the US president met Putin in Alaska. But while that gathering — which saw Trump say the onus was on Zelenskiy to end the three-year-long conflict — sparked concern among allies, Monday’s meeting provided Ukraine reason for hope.
Zelenskiy said he was encouraged that the US would participate in security guarantees as part of any peace deal, and signaled that Trump had agreed to a key ask: that discussion of territorial exchanges be reserved for direct talks with Putin. Trump signaled that he may be able to convince Russia to release as many as a thousand prisoners as a show of good faith.
More broadly, the two leaders — who have often struggled to work harmoniously since Trump’s return to power — spent the afternoon praising each other and underscoring the unity between Kyiv and Washington.
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