Updated. President Donald Trump said Monday there is a “reasonable chance of ending the war” if White House talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders pave the way for a trilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Key Details:

• Trump welcomed Zelensky to the Oval Office Monday afternoon, noting the talks began on stronger footing than the Ukrainian leader’s last visit to Washington. “The war is going to end,” Trump declared, expressing optimism about the day’s negotiations.
• The president said he hoped to broker a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky, stressing that without it “there’s a good chance the fighting continues.” Trump added he would be calling Putin to arrange the session.
• Zelensky voiced support for Trump’s approach, saying Ukraine had proven its strength on the battlefield but was ready to pursue Trump’s diplomatic path to peace: “We are ready for a trilateral, as the President said, it’s a good signal.”

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump expressed cautious optimism on Monday that a long-awaited breakthrough in Ukraine could be within reach. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, Trump said there was “a reasonable chance of ending the war” if ongoing discussions with Kyiv and European allies at the White House moved in the right direction.

The meeting came just three days after Trump sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, in what the administration billed as a historic step toward peace. Trump said he planned to call Putin later Monday to push forward a trilateral meeting involving all three leaders.

“We’re going to have a meeting,” Trump said. “I think if everything works out well today we’ll have a [trilateral meeting], and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that.”

The president’s comments underscored the central role he is seeking to play as mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. For Trump, who has repeatedly said he is determined to end the bloodshed, bringing Putin and Zelensky together under U.S. supervision could provide the decisive momentum that countless rounds of lower-level talks have failed to achieve. “If we don’t have a trilat, there’s a good chance the fighting continues,” Trump cautioned.

Zelensky, for his part, said Ukraine remained committed to a diplomatic track under Trump’s leadership. “We are strong people and we supported an idea of the United States, of President Trump, to stop this war [in a] diplomatic way to finish this war,” he told reporters. “We are ready for a trilateral, as the President said, it’s a good signal.”

Monday’s White House talks with Zelensky and European leaders marked the latest step in Trump’s effort to broker what would be one of the most consequential peace agreements of his presidency. The coming days may determine whether his push for a trilateral summit becomes a reality — or whether the conflict grinds on with no clear end in sight. — MxM News