Trump calls White House talks 'very good, early step' toward Russia-Ukraine peace: Here's what's next

President Donald Trump described his White House negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders as "a very good, early step" toward ending the nearly four-year-old Russia-Ukraine war, announcing that he has already spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about arranging a direct meeting with Zelenskyy.

Trump said the group of world leaders held discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine, with commitments coming primarily from European nations "in coordination with the United States" in a statement on Truth Social after the meetings.

"Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine," Trump said, adding that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff are now leading follow-up talks with Moscow and Kyiv.