Trump: "Coordinating Russia-Ukraine Summit... Trilateral Talks to Follow"
US, Europe Outline 'NATO-Style' Collective Security Guarantees
Negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war have gained momentum. On August 18 (local time), bilateral talks between the United States and Ukraine, as well as multilateral talks involving the US, Ukraine, and European countries, were held to discuss Ukraine's security guarantees and territorial issues. Starting from these meetings, efforts have begun to organize a Russia-Ukraine summit and a trilateral summit between the US, Russia, and Ukraine, signaling that the war, now in its third year and sixth month, is approaching its conclusion.
After completing the bilateral and multilateral talks, US President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, "After the meetings, I called Russian President Vladimir Putin and began coordinating so that President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can meet at a location to be determined. Following this meeting, the two leaders will hold a trilateral summit with me."
US President Donald Trump (right) is discussing negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Sauli Niinist?, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the 18th (local time). On this day, President Trump held a bilateral meeting with President Zelensky, followed by a multilateral meeting with President Zelensky and leaders of major European countries to discuss Ukraine's security guarantees and post-war territorial issues. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
If a summit between Russia and Ukraine is realized, it will mark the first meeting between the two countries' leaders since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The core agenda of the negotiations to end the Ukraine war is Ukraine's security guarantees and territorial exchanges. Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede the eastern Donbas region as a condition for a peace agreement. Previously, it was reported that the US and Russia had reached a tentative agreement in which Ukraine would transfer part of its territory to Russia, and in return, Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine provided by the US and Europe, modeled after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). With significant progress made in the security guarantee discussions on this day, if the bilateral talks between the parties produce an outline for territorial redefinition, it is expected that a declaration to end the war will follow the trilateral summit involving President Trump.
At a press conference after the meeting, President Zelensky stated, "Ukraine and Russia must meet without any preconditions," emphasizing that "territorial issues are matters to be decided jointly by Russia and Ukraine, and the exact date of the meeting has not been set."
On this day, President Trump and the leaders of Germany, the UK, France, Finland, and Italy, as well as the President of the European Commission and the Secretary General of NATO, held a multilateral meeting at the White House. Regarding this, President Trump said, "We discussed the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine, which will be provided by several European countries in cooperation with the United States."
In his opening remarks at the summit, President Trump said, "President Putin has agreed to accept security guarantees for Ukraine," and told President Zelensky, "I have a feeling that you and President Putin will be able to reach an agreement."
Regarding President Trump's statement that the United States would be directly involved in providing security guarantees, President Zelensky said, "It is very important that the US is sending a strong signal," adding, "We will discuss security guarantees in more detail." When asked what he expects from the United States for Ukraine's security, he replied, "Everything."
The collective security guarantee mentioned by President Trump in his opening remarks appears to refer to a collective defense system similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter. Article 5 of the NATO Charter stipulates that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on the entire alliance, requiring a joint response. During the meeting, President Trump is believed to have shared and discussed Russia's position as confirmed in his summit with President Putin on the 15th. According to Politico Europe and other sources, President Trump did not rule out the possibility of US troops being stationed in Ukraine. According to President Zelensky, the details of the security guarantees will be finalized and formalized in a document within ten days.
European leaders expressed hope for the NATO Article 5-style security guarantee proposed by President Trump. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni cited security guarantees as the most important topic of discussion and mentioned the NATO Article 5 model. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's security guarantees equate to the security of the European continent, emphasizing the need for a broader meeting involving Europe after the trilateral summit.
President Trump emphasized the signing of a "peace agreement" as advocated by President Putin, instead of the "ceasefire" demanded by Ukraine and Europe. However, Europe expressed concerns. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, "It is hard to imagine the next meeting taking place without a ceasefire," and stressed, "We must work towards a ceasefire and put pressure on Russia."
According to CNN and other outlets, during the talks with Ukrainian and European leaders, President Trump requested a brief recess to speak with President Putin by phone. TASS and other sources reported that the Kremlin confirmed a phone call between the US and Russian presidents lasting about 40 minutes. According to AFP, Chancellor Merz stated that during the call, President Putin expressed to President Trump his willingness to meet with President Zelensky within two weeks. It is also believed that President Putin may have shared his views on the security guarantee proposals discussed during the meetings.
Meanwhile, the meeting between President Trump and President Zelensky was held in a friendly atmosphere, in contrast to the "no deal" breakdown at their meeting at the end of February. Unlike his previous visit to the White House in February, when he wore military-style attire, President Zelensky appeared in formal attire, including a black shirt, jacket, and trousers. Referring to his outfit, President Zelensky said, "This is the best I have," to which President Trump responded, "I love it." President Zelensky also repeatedly expressed his gratitude to President Trump, including for First Lady Melania Trump's letter to President Putin expressing concern for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
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