War in Ukraine. The Still Fragile Hope for Peace: What to Remember from the Start of the White House Summit

"This war will end." Donald Trump expressed optimism on Monday about the possibility of achieving peace in Ukraine as he welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky three days after his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The tone was cordial, as if to erase the sad memory of the altercation between the two men on February 28 in the Oval Office, giving the impression that the Ukrainian president had been ambushed.

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky have done everything possible to avoid appearing to disagree, despite their deep differences over how to end the war in Ukraine .

Speaking to the press, the American president and his Ukrainian counterpart carefully avoided contentious topics. In particular, they referred discussions on a possible ceasefire and possible territorial negotiations to a hypothetical one-on-one meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, with or without Donald Trump. The Russian president did not say whether he would agree to this summit, even though he considers Volodymyr Zelensky to be an unlawful president.

Donald Trump, who had been demanding an immediate end to the fighting for months while threatening Russia with sanctions, has finally agreed with Vladimir Putin, who believes that only a comprehensive peace agreement is valid, provided that it meets Russia's maximalist demands. "If there is peace, we will make sure it is lasting," the US president declared. Donald Trump did not say how far the United States was prepared to go to convince Ukraine to accept the peace plan proposed by Russia. According to the Wall Street Journal , the billionaire could again threaten to suspend American defense and military intelligence aid, as the United States had already done briefly after the February 28 altercation.

Journalists present noticed a large map of Ukraine on display in the Oval Office. The eastern part of the country was colored pink, representing the 20% of Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia. This was a reminder of the pressure being exerted on Kyiv to agree to trade territory for peace. "I have a feeling that you and Vladimir Putin will find a solution," Donald Trump said, addressing Volodymyr Zelensky in the presence of European leaders, while the Ukrainian president praised "very good discussions on sensitive issues, including security guarantees." Ukraine has reason to be cautious because it was betrayed in the 1994 memorandum on its denuclearization, which included sovereignty guarantees violated by Russia.

The European countries' goal was to show a united front in unreserved support for Ukraine at a time when Kyiv appears to be forced to cede territory, which would constitute a reward for the aggressor and a threat to the future security of the European continent. This is what French President Emmanuel Macron said when he suggested that a quadrilateral meeting should be held rather than a three-way summit, including Europe, which is directly concerned by the peace negotiations in Ukraine.

Donald Trump, without going into details, assured that the United States "would be involved" in Ukraine's future security, a crucial issue for Kyiv and the Europeans. "We will give them very good protection," he promised, after recently specifying that any security guarantee would have to be found outside the NATO framework, to be accepted by the Kremlin. Donald Trump also reiterated earlier in the day that he was opposed to Ukraine's entry into the Atlantic Alliance.

Before his closed-door meeting with European leaders and his Ukrainian counterpart, the US president expressed tentative hope for a quick end to the war. "We will know in one or two weeks whether there is a solution in sight for peace in Ukraine or whether the fighting will continue," he said.