Trump tells Zelenskyy US would help with Ukraine's security in a peace deal

Mr Zelenskyy struck a deferential tone, expressing gratitude more than once for the support of the United States. Picture: PA

Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would help Europe in providing security for Ukraine as part of any deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as he and Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy began a hastily arranged White House meeting to discuss a path to peace.

But he also suggested to reporters that he no longer believed reaching a ceasefire was a necessary prerequisite for striking a peace agreement, backing a position staked out by Russian president Vladimir Putin and opposed by Zelenskyy and most European leaders

When it comes to security, there's going to be a lot of help," Mr Trump said, adding that European countries would be involved. 

"They are a first line of defence because they're there, but we'll help them out."

The two presidents took questions from the media in the Oval Office before meeting in private, six months after their last appearance there descended into disaster when Trump and US vice president JD Vance upbraided Zelenskyy in an extraordinary public dressing-down.

This time, the meeting appeared far more convivial, despite the US president's movement toward Russia in recent days following his summit in Alaska with Putin. 

Mr Zelenskyy struck a deferential tone, expressing gratitude more than once for the support of the United States.

Mr Trump said he expected Russia to release Ukrainian prisoners soon.

Peace is 'very attainable.'

"I think you'll see that President Putin really would like to do something also," Trump said at the start of a meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders, forecasting some "really positive moves" after a trilateral meeting was agreed.

"I know there's over 1,000 prisoners, and I know they're going to release them. Maybe they're going to release them very soon, like immediately, which I think is great," Mr Trump said.

He also said while everyone around the table would prefer an immediate ceasefire while they work on lasting peace, at this moment "it's not happening."

Still, he said, a peace agreement was "very attainable."

The EU leaders were seated around a large table, and are taking turns addressing Trump directly.

The format is similar to Mr Trump's recent Cabinet meetings, where agency heads offer him praise and then bring up specific matters they want to highlight.

Mark Rutte of Nato said: "We have to stop the killing. We have to stop the destruction of Ukraine's infrastructure. This is a terrible war," 

He thanked Trump and said he "broke the deadlock."

EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen told the US president: "We are here to work together with you on a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, to stop the killing."

"Every single child has to go back to its family."

French leader Emmanuel Macron added: "We've worked very hard during the past few years to have a peace, which is a robust and long-standing peace. This is why the idea of a trilateral meeting is very important because this is the only way to fix it."