WASHINGTON. – US President Donald Trump gathered European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a hastily arranged White House meeting on Monday to discuss a path to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Here are the takeaways from the talks:
WARM TONE, LITTLE SUBSTANCE
Seven European leaders, the Ukrainian president, their motorcades, dozens of Trump administration staff and more than 100 journalists swarmed the White House campus on Monday in anticipation of the unusual meeting.
Would Trump and Zelenskiy agree on a path to peace? Or would their latest Oval Office session devolve into a bitter squabble as in February?
Neither scenario occurred. Zelenskiy, chided for his appearance and manner in February, adjusted both. Wearing more formal clothing and repeatedly expressing his gratitude to Trump, he was greeted by a far more complimentary US president than in the past.
But, despite Trump’s vow to assist in Ukraine’s security after a hypothetical peace deal, there was no immediate sign that any party had substantially changed position on land swaps, security guarantees or sanctions.
Instead, Trump ended with promises to host a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address the many remaining issues.
HEAPING PRAISE
“Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” US Vice President JD Vance asked Zelenskiy in February, accusing him of failing to show sufficient gratitude for US support.
On Monday, Zelenskiy made sure that was not an issue. His opening remarks in the Oval Office included eight thank-yous, mostly for Trump.
“Thank you so much, Mr. President … thank you for your attention. Thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts to stop killings and stop this war. Thank you,” Zelenskiy said.
He included the US first lady, who sent a letter to Putin about abducted children in Ukraine.
“Using this opportunity, my thanks to your wife,” the Ukrainian president said.
“And thanks to all our partners and that you supported this format. And after our meeting, we’re going to have leaders who are around us, the UK and France, Germany… all partners around Ukraine supporting us. Thanks (to) them. Thank you very much for your invitation.”
Unlike in February, Vance this time sat largely silent.
COMBAT FORMAL
The stakes of the meeting could not have been higher. But one of the most-asked questions among diplomats in D.C. could not have been more frivolous: Would the Ukrainian president wear a suit?
The answer: kind of.
Zelenskiy showed up to the White House in what one European diplomat described as “almost a suit.” His black jacket had tiny lapels and jetted chest pockets. He did not wear a tie. His attire, which split the difference between the battlefield and the boardroom, could be described as combat formal.
Those sartorial details matter when it comes to dealing with the US president, who was upset that Zelenskiy did not wear a suit for their February meeting.
Zelenskiy passed the fashion test this time, however.
When one journalist in the Oval Office said Zelenskiy looked “fabulous,” Trump chimed in to agree.
“I said the same thing,” Trump told reporters.
DIVIDE OVER CEASEFIRE
The assembled European leaders, Zelenskiy included, were careful to paper over policy disagreements with Trump, keeping their comments vague and showering the US president with compliments.
But one point of disagreement did bubble to the surface.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the assembled leaders and media that he wanted to see Putin agree to a ceasefire.
Trump had long pushed for a ceasefire in Ukraine. But he largely jettisoned that goal after meeting with Putin last week in Alaska, a shift that was widely seen as a diplomatic defeat for Ukraine. The US president now says he is fine, trying to move directly to a peace deal.
“To be honest, we all would like to see a ceasefire,” Merz said. “I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire, so let’s work on that.”
Trump pushed back, arguing he has solved many conflicts without first reaching a ceasefire.
