US President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodimier Zelanski at the White House in Washington, DC, US, 18 August, 2025 amidst talks to end the Russian war in Ukraine in 2025.
Kevin Lamark | Roots
On its face, the conversation between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodimier Zelanski and European leaders on Monday took place well.
The US and Ukrainian leaders were painted Jovial and smiling together – crying far away from the extraordinary screaming match and public humiliation on Zelanski During his last visit to the White House in February.
Monday’s dialogue, which included a fleet of European leaders, appeared to progress towards ending the increased war between Russia and Ukraine, said Trump said that a meeting would be arranged between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelancesi, followed by a tripartite meeting that would be included.
However, the most important development result for Kyiv and Europe was Trump statement Security for Ukraine will be guaranteed by European countries to “coordinate with the US” in “coordination”.
Explaining that as a “major step,” Zelansky later stated that the safety package guarantees for Ukraine – the highly reputed and future Russian aggression will be seen as a preventive – which would include a large purchase of American weapons, which was allegedly supported by Europe. He said that the agreement would be “formalized on paper within next week”.
Is there a guarantee of security?
The expansion for the guarantee of safety may include is still scary. Trump commented at the post-lock press conference that Europe would “take a lot of burden” for these, but said that America would help and “very safe”.
In any case, the possibility of safety guarantee means that Europe, and the so -called “interested” of the countries offering to oversee a peace deal, is on the hooks to fulfill the promise they had earlier promised.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday indicated that “the first security guarantee we are working on – and this is most important – a strong Ukrainian army, made up of several hundred thousand men, which is well equipped, with defense systems and high standards.”
“The forces that reassure the other, British, French, Germans, Ottoman, and others are ready to do these tasks-not on the line, not in a stimulating manner, but in the sea, and assurance operations on the ground.
Research Fellow Zaroslav Barbari of Chautham House told CNBC on Tuesday that the overall mood from the talks on Monday was one of the “cautious optimism”, but many are unknown.
“However, we have to say that the maximalist demands of the Kremlin on Ukraine have not changed and therefore there are still many uncertainty about the safety guarantee, the details, what are going to do, where will they be deployed and how long will they contribute?” He asked.
Obstacles for peace
European leaders have raised the sound of misunderstanding over the lack of ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine before the peace deal, but they seem ready to be familiar with peace and the security of Ukraine and Europe, now.
Gabriyus Landsburgis, former Foreign Minister of Lithuania, told CNBC on Tuesday that Europe is still struggling to listen, saying that the block has not yet gained its strength and “ability to create”.
“Yesterday came out of the meeting that Europe was asking America to continue his assistance yesterday, to ask for a ceasefire, to assist any station of any soldiers, and then some leaders were also saying, ‘Okay, some people in the Ukrainian region may lose, but it is a reality.” Well, it does not think it is the strength like Europe, “he said.
He said, “It is like Europe that, ‘We are in a very weak position and we have to make President Trump as happy as we can and we have nothing to put on the table.”
What is more, it is not clear whether Kremlin will also agree to interact with Zelancesi. Putin’s President’s aide Yuri Ushkov said on Monday that Trump and Putin discussed that “it would be necessary to study the possibility of increasing the level of representatives of Ukrainian and Russian sides,” but it was not a firm decision.
The proposed future summit between Trump, Putin and Zelanski will keep a process alive towards a possible resolution of the struggle, but it will still follow the Russian script of the landscape without a leadership, warning the chief economist at Holger Schmeding, Berenberg Bank.
“Putin can already determine the difficult situations for a meeting with Zelanski. And in a meeting with Zelancesi, Putin’s major goal may have to pin the defect for any failure on Zelanski rather than agreeing for a truss or final deal. The result is very uncertain.
