Important statements following the Zelensky-Trump meeting at the White House

The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House has concluded. In a joint press conference, Trump stated, "We are trying to reach a deal that is beneficial to both sides. We will end this war in the same way we ended Iran's entire nuclear capacity." Zelensky said, "We want security guarantees as part of any agreement that will end the war we are waging against Russia."

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met at the White House. In their statements to the press in the Oval Office before their meeting with other leaders from the European Union (EU) and NATO, the leaders gave critical messages regarding ending the Russia-Ukraine War.

In his statement, the US President noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin is also in favor of a solution, saying, "I know that Vladimir Putin also wants this war to end. We want long-term peace. After this meeting, we will speak with Putin on the phone. I think if we have a trilateral meeting, we have a high chance of ending this war." Trump also added, "I love the Ukrainians, and I love the Russians. I love everyone, that's why we must end this war."

"I DON'T THINK A CEASEFIRE IS NEEDED"

When asked about his thoughts on achieving a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Trump replied, "I have ended 6 wars in 6 months, and I did not have a ceasefire in any of the wars I ended. I don't think a ceasefire is needed. We want a lasting peace. A ceasefire could put one of the parties at a strategic disadvantage."

"BIDEN WAS A TRULY TERRIBLE PRESIDENT"

US President Trump continued his criticisms of former US President Joe Biden, from whom he took over the office. Trump stated, "The US spending in Ukraine was done by a corrupt government. If I had been president, this war would not have started. Biden was a truly terrible president. Everything was very crazy under the Biden administration; about 360 billion dollars were spent. We are currently spending money on war and defending ourselves."

"WE ARE WILLING TO HAVE TRILATERAL MEETINGS"

Zelensky emphasized his determination to end the war, saying, "We are a strong people and we intend to end this war. We are willing to have trilateral meetings (with Russia)." Regarding the elections planned to be held in Ukraine after peace is achieved, Zelensky said, "First of all, we need a ceasefire. We need it for a democratic, open election."

UKRAINE'S SECURITY GUARANTEES WILL BE DISCUSSED

Zelensky touched upon the importance of security guarantees to be provided to his country, saying, "We need security guarantees as part of any agreement. We will talk about this with our partners." Expressing his country's security expectations, the Ukrainian leader said, "We want security guarantees as part of any agreement that will end the war we are waging against Russia."

Trump noted that he supports this request, stating, "We will discuss this today. European leaders want to provide protection to Ukraine, and the US will join in. There will be a lot of help, a lot of support regarding security."

HUMOROUS MOMENTS BETWEEN THE LEADERS

During the meeting, there was also a humorous dialogue regarding Zelensky's previous visit to the White House. When a journalist commented on Zelensky's attire, saying, "This suit looks magnificent on you," the US President intervened, saying, "I said the same thing. Last time, he was the one who attacked you last." Zelensky replied to the journalist, "I changed my clothes, but you were wearing the same suit when I last came."

"NO ONE ENTERED ILLEGALLY"

Trump also emphasized that US border security was increased during his term, stating, "Within 90 days, not even 1 person entered our country illegally. It was a somewhat liberal group that published these figures, but the result was zero."

JOINT MEETING WITH EUROPEAN LEADERS

Following the meeting, Trump and Zelensky reiterated that they would meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Pointing to the support of European leaders, Trump said, "We will meet with a group of leaders consisting of seven very strong, very large countries and wonderful people. They all want peace and will participate in this process."

EMPHASIS ON LASTING PEACE

At the end of the statements, Trump said, "We want long-term peace. We are aiming for a permanent agreement, not short-term ceasefires. Everyone wants to protect Ukraine, and we need to make this agreement."

Zelensky stated, "We need the support of our American and European partners. We have shown that we are a strong people. We support the trilateral system idea proposed by President Trump. We are ready for a trilateral meeting."

News Source: İHA