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US President Donald Trump has said he had started arranging a two-way peace meeting between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin - to be followed by three-way talks involving himself.

“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” Trump said after hosting Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House.

“After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.”

Trump had interrupted a meeting with European leaders at the White House to call Putin on efforts to reach a Ukraine deal, a source close to the talks said.

The call came as Trump hosted Zelenskyy and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission and Nato, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, Trump said that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace deal, as he hosted Zelenskyy and European leaders in an extraordinary show of unity at the White House.

Trump expressed optimism over the chances of ending Russia’s invasion and said he was ready to hold a three-way meeting with Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met in Alaska last week.

Zelenskyy – who also met separately with Trump in the Oval Office for the first time since their acrimonious row there in February – said his talks with Trump today were the “best” yet.

“In a week or two weeks, we’re going to know whether or not we’re going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said as he opened the meeting.

The presence of the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission and Nato however underscored continuing nervousness about Trump’s pressure on Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow.

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Trump had pushed Ukraine before the meeting to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining Nato – both key demands made by Putin.

US President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Photo / Getty Images 

‘Exchanges of territory’ 

But the US President said his talks with Putin had made progress on the issue of security guarantees. 

“In a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine,” Trump said. “We’re going to be considering that at the table, also who will do what essentially.” 

Trump said that during the White House talks they also “need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory” between Russia and Ukraine. 

French President Emmanuel Macron is greeted by US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley as he arrives at the White House. Photo / Getty Images 

Reports had said Putin was pushing for Ukraine to cede its eastern Donbas region, much of which is still partly in Kyiv’s hands, in exchange for freezing the frontline elsewhere. 

Ukraine has rejected any such move. 

Trump said he was ready to attend a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelenskyy in the near future to reach a peace deal. 

“I think if everything works out well today we’ll have a trilat, and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” Trump said earlier as he sat in the Oval Office alongside Zelenskyy. 

US President Donald Trump hosts a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and other European leaders at the White House. Photo / Getty Images 

Zelenskyy hailed his meeting with Trump, saying it was “important that the United States gives such strong signals” about Western security guarantees. 

The atmosphere was far calmer than when Trump and Vice-President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy in front of TV cameras less than six months ago for not being “grateful” for US support. 

Trump even complimented Zelenskyy on his black jacket, after the Ukrainian was criticised by right-wing media because he failed to change his trademark war-leader’s outfit for a suit during the February visit. 

‘Really excited’ 

The Europeans lined up to praise Trump as they called for a lasting peace to end Russia’s invasion. 

“I’m really excited. Let’s make the best out of today,” Nato chief Mark Rutte said as the US President went round the table asking them to comment. 

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, called for a separate four-way meeting including Europeans to deal with a grinding conflict that is on their doorstep. 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meanwhile contradicted Trump’s call to go straight for a full peace deal instead of an immediate ceasefire, calling for a truce before any leaders’ summit. 

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House. Photo / Getty Images 

“Let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia,” Merz said. 

Trump said he would be talking to Putin by telephone later today. 

The Trump-Putin summit in Alaska failed to produce a ceasefire in the nearly three-and-a-half-year war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. 

Russian strikes overnight killed at least seven people in Ukraine, including two children. 

– Danny Kemp, Agence France-Presse