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Trump says will call Putin after White House meeting with Zelensky, promises 'war will end'
Trump is pressing for a quick end to Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies worry he could seek to force an agreement on Russia's terms
- PUBLISHED: Mon 18 Aug 2025, 9:28 PM UPDATED: Mon 18 Aug 2025, 9:59 PM
US President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House on Monday for talks on a possible peace deal with Russia.
"We love them," Trump told reporters when asked what his message was to the people of Ukraine after shaking Zelensky's hand.
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He also complimented Zelensky on his black jacket, after the Ukrainian was criticised for failing to wear a suit during a famous February visit that ended in a spat.
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The reporter who commented on Zelensky not wearing a suit in February also complimented him, to which the Ukrainian President quipped: "I have changed mine; you are still wearing the same suit."
Speaking on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Trump said the war will end, even though he "doesn't know when." When asked about the potential of a ceasefire, Trump said he doesn't want one although he liked the concept of it.
"The only good thing about a ceasefire is that the fighting stops immediately, as opposed to two weeks later," Trump said, adding that a ceasefire might prove a strategic advantage for one of the two countries to regroup.
He added that rather than calling for a ceasefire, a peace deal could still be made while the fighting was going on.
When asked what guarantee Zelensky needs from the US, he responded with "everything." Ukraine requires weapons, intelligence, training, and all the help it can get from Europe, US, the "big countries," he said.
Trump added that the meeting with the Ukrainian President would be followed by a phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin, and that there could be a trilateral agreement.
"If there is no trilateral agreement, the fighting will continue," he said.
Trump is pressing for a quick end to Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies worry he could seek to force an agreement on Russia's terms after the president on Friday in Alaska rolled out the red carpet - literally - for Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.
