Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that a peace deal for the war in Ukraine is within reach and that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will accept Western security guarantees for Ukraine, as he met with his counterpart from the former Soviet republic, Volodymir Zelensky, and European leaders.

"In a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is one of the key points we have to consider, and we're going to be considering that at the table, including who will do what, essentially," Trump said, at the start of talks with European leaders and Zelensky at the White House.

"I think European nations are going to shoulder a lot of the burden. We're going to help them and make it very safe," he said.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, indicated that everyone would prefer an immediate ceasefire, added that he was optimistic that an agreement could be reached to deter the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and stated that he would speak with Putin after Monday's meetings with Zelensky and European leaders.

Zelensky noted that"we had a very good conversation with President Trump, and it was truly the best, or, well, maybe it will be the best in the future," during the expanded meeting with European leaders at the White House.

French President Emmanuel Macron declared that “we all support the idea of a truce,” and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a ceasefire ahead of a possible tripartite summit between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.

Following the brief press conference, which followed the meeting between Trump and Zelensky, Trump began talks with the Ukrainian leader and seven European leaders: North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Finnish President Alexander Stubb; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz; and French President Emmanuel Macron.