In a candid hot-mic moment, US President Donald Trump suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen on reaching a deal regarding the war in Ukraine with Trump's personal involvement in mind.
The comment was made in a low voice to French President Emmanuel Macron just before a high-level meeting. The gathering included various European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump was heard saying, "I think he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal for me, you understand that? As crazy as it sounds."
These remarks preceded a significant summit in Washington where leaders convened to discuss potential steps toward peace and security guarantees for Kyiv. Following the meeting, Trump expressed his willingness to take a direct role in the negotiations, telling reporters, "And if you’d like, I’ll go to that meeting."
During the summit, Trump assured President Zelenskyy that the United States would support security guarantees for Ukraine within any prospective peace agreement with Russia. However, specific details about the nature and extent of this US assistance were not made clear.
Also Read: EU allies to back Zelensky in talks with Trump
This pledge was delivered during a prominent White House summit where Trump hosted Zelenskyy and several European allies. The summit took place just days after Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Addressing reporters, Trump stated, "When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help." He added, "European countries are the first line of defense because they’re there, but we’ll help them out."
President Zelenskyy welcomed Trump's assurance as 'a major step forward.' He noted that he expected the security guarantees to be 'formalised on paper within the next week to 10 days.' Zelenskyy also revealed that Ukraine had put forward an offer to purchase approximately $90 billion in weapons from the United States.
Also Read: Trump moves to arrange Zelenskyy-Putin meeting
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