When Volodymyr Zelenskiy returned to the White House on Monday, the air was thick with the ghosts of meetings past. His last visit in February had been a diplomatic disaster, a public scolding that left him politically bruised.
This time, however, was different.
Flanked by a powerful contingent of European leaders, what was billed as a summit felt more like a strategic intervention, a carefully orchestrated mission to navigate the unpredictable currents of Donald Trump and emerge with Ukraine’s dignity—and its prospects—intact.
The charm offensive and a tale of two suits
The shift in tone was palpable from the very first moments. The Ukrainian president, who had been mocked by pro-Trump pundits for his military fatigues in February, arrived in a dark suit, a gesture that did not go unnoticed.
He then launched a calculated charm offensive, armed with quick wit and high-level flattery.
After thanking Trump profusely for his efforts, he even sought to forge a personal connection, handing the president a letter from Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska to be delivered to Melania Trump. “It’s not to you – [it’s] to your wife,” he told Trump.
The Europeans dialed up the flattery as well, heaping praise on the US president.
“I really want to thank you for your leadership,” said Nato chief Mark Rutte. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni added that while Russia had previously shown no desire for peace, “something had changed” thanks to Trump.
Europe’s diplomatic shield
Beneath the warm words, the European leaders’ purpose was clear: to prevent a repeat of the February meltdown and steer Trump away from a bad deal sweet-talked by Vladimir Putin.
They acted as a diplomatic shield, gently but firmly keeping the conversation on track. The most substantive pushback came when the leaders sat down and Trump dismissed the need for a ceasefire before peace negotiations could begin.
“I don’t know that it’s necessary,” Trump said.
Germany’s Friedrich Merz immediately countered. “I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire,” Merz stated firmly.
“So, let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia.” It was a moment of quiet but firm resistance, a reminder that this was not a bilateral negotiation, but a unified European front.
The bombshells beneath the boasting
While Trump regaled the room with boasts of his peacemaking prowess—claiming to have settled wars in places as far-flung as the “Republic of the Condo”—the summit produced stunningly concrete, if unconfirmed, revelations.
The most significant was Trump’s hint at robust US security guarantees for Ukraine, a paramount concern for Kyiv in any potential peace deal.
“We’ll give them good protection,” the president said, adding that Putin himself had accepted this as a condition during their Alaska summit.
Following the meetings, Zelenskiy put a staggering number to that protection.
At a news conference, he revealed that part of the security guarantee would involve a $90bn (£67bn) arms deal between the US and Ukraine, which would include advanced aviation and anti-missile systems.
He added that the US would also buy Ukrainian drones, a move designed to fund Kyiv’s domestic production.
Furthermore, Trump revealed he was actively working to bring the two warring leaders face-to-face. A hot mic caught him telling French President Emmanuel Macron that he believed Putin was ready to negotiate.
“I think he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal for me. You understand that? As crazy as that sounds,” Trump said.
Later, he posted on Truth Social that he had spoken to Putin by phone for 40 minutes to begin arranging a bilateral meeting with Zelenskiy, to be followed by a trilateral summit with the US.
In the end, Zelenskiy left Washington not with a peace deal, but with something potentially more valuable: the promise of security, the prospect of a massive military upgrade, and the backing of a united West that had successfully prevented him from being cast as the sole obstacle to peace.
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