Is this the beginning of peace?

The meeting in Washington, DC, between Trump, Zelenskyy, and key European leaders was not going to deliver quick peace. Wars of this scale do not end in one day. So the question now is not whether the war can end tomorrow, but whether the pieces for a just peace are finally beginning to fall into place.

The reality is that peace with Russia will not come through voluntary concessions from Moscow. No one in Kyiv, Washington or Brussels entertains the illusion that Putin will simply walk away from Ukraine. If peace is to emerge, it will not be through goodwill from Moscow, but through coordinated and joint pressure: economical, military and political.

Ukraine has signalled clearly: we are ready for truce, for a path towards ending the killing and laying down a durable security architecture. The negotiations in Washington were about defining what this path must look like.

For Ukraine, peace begins with one word: guarantees. No credible settlement can exist without firm security guarantee commitments from US and Europe. Without these, any pause would only be a step to the next invasion. US has indicated readiness to be part of these guarantees together with Europe. Even without fast-track Nato membership, there is a realistic alternative that can be structured where Ukraine is not in the Alliance, but is armed with political and legal signals that it will never be left to fight alone.

Apart from security guarantees Ukraine pressed two other urgent demands: the return of children forcibly taken by Russia, and the release of prisoners of war and civilians. These are litmus tests of Moscow’s willingness to engage in any credible process, and these are steps that could build at least minimal trust in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

Note that the leaders of France, UK, Germany, Italy, Finland, European Commission and Nato did not send envoys – they came themselves. Their presence reinforced an important truth: Ukraine’s security is Europe’s security. This unity matters, because Russia has always bet on fatigue and division. The meeting in Washington showed the opposite.

What steps must happen next? The pathway forward is becoming clearer.

Security guarantees | When it comes to creating frameworks that give Ukraine real protection, real and long-lasting security guarantees have two parts: what partners give to Ukraine, and what Ukraine itself brings to its partners. This is not about a one-sided promise, but about shared responsibility.

This could take the form of binding defence agreements, long-term weapons commitments, and integrated defence planning with Nato members. Details are still in the pipeline, but the outlines already include co-production of weapons, large-scale financing of Ukraine’s armed forces by Europe, and multinational forces positioned to deter any renewed aggression.

Talks have included a $90bn package to purchase American weapons through Europe, while US would in turn buy drones from Ukraine.

The guarantees are backed by the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ led by UK and France, and backed by up to 30 countries from Australia to Europe, with commitments ranging from intelligence to maritime security, financing, and troops on the ground. Trump described the guarantees as resembling Nato’s Article 5, though outside Nato. Macron and Starmer said that these forces stand ready to protect Ukraine’s land, air and sea once a truce is in place.

Abducted children and PoWs | On prioritising agreements for the return of children and prisoners of war, what stood out in Washington was not only that leaders raised the issue, but that even Melania Trump chose to address it, sending a personal letter to Putin urging the return of Ukrainian children and reminding about the scale of the crime, nearly 20,000 cases of unlawful deportations and forced transfers of Ukrainian children are already documented.
The moment had a personal edge: Zelenskyy carried a message from Olena Zelenska to Melania, a reminder that the war is also about children torn from their homes. For Zelenska, their return isn’t charity or symbolism – it’s the first, non-negotiable step towards any real peace.

Trilateral meeting | Trump called Putin while Zelenskyy and the seven European leaders were gathered in the White House. He also mentioned the idea of a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin. The message was a bit blunt: the war must end, and both Zelenskyy and Putin say they want it to. Kyiv is open to talks at the leader level, but only if they are backed not just by words.

Ukraine will not accept peace at the cost of its territory. It will not trade its future sovereignty for temporary calmness. What it is prepared for is a dignified truce backed by international guarantees, a peace that stops the killing and builds a new security order for Europe.

The Washington talks signalled a readiness to negotiate, but not at the cost of Ukraine’s fundamental red lines. Security, sovereignty and dignity remain non-negotiable.

Zelenskyy was clear: only leaders can resolve the hardest and most painful issues of this war. Backed by European heads of state, he confirmed Ukraine’s readiness for a bilateral meeting with Putin, followed by a trilateral one with US participation. He added that he had told Trump all sides must show the will to end the war, and that a leaders’ summit is the way to prove it. Ukraine is ready to do everything needed for long-lasting peace through partnership and mutual consensus.

There is no doubt that not only peace in Ukraine, but also the security of Europe and the foundations of a new and genuine world order are being decided today, and their outcome will shape the future of the world for decades to come.

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