Donald Trump rates his Ukraine meeting a ’10,’ but admits his plan won’t stop Putin from killing civilians

European leaders held an online meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump today to talk about the ongoing war in Ukraine. The goal of the meeting was to push Trump to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire and provide safety guarantees for Ukraine before any official peace talks could begin.

According to NPR, speaking at a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had received promises from President Trump. Zelenskyy stated that Trump agreed with the condition that Russia must first promise a ceasefire and agree to security terms before any peace discussions could start.

Chancellor Merz supported this view, saying there was general agreement among Europe, NATO, and the U.S. on what should happen next. This agreement includes a strong refusal to legally accept any Ukrainian land that Russia has taken by force.

Trump is finally siding with EU and Ukraine against Russia

Merz stressed how serious the situation is, warning that Europe’s security and democratic values are at risk if Russia’s aggressive moves are not stopped. He suggested that if Russia is allowed to keep land it seized by force, Putin might feel encouraged to attack other countries in the future. The German Chancellor also laid out a clear plan to support Ukraine while putting pressure on Russia.

Merz said, “The strategy is based on supporting Ukraine and putting pressure on Russia. So, if in Alaska there’s no movement on the Russian side, then the U.S. and the Europeans need to increase the pressure.”

Later in the day, Trump spoke about the situation again while giving a speech at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He called his online meeting with the European leaders a good and “friendly” discussion, giving it a rating of a “10.” He said he was hopeful about a possible breakthrough, suggesting that if his Friday talks with Putin go well, there is a very good chance a follow-up meeting, one that would include President Zelenskyy, could be set up very quickly. Despite this optimism, Trump also gave a strong warning, saying Russia would face “very severe consequences” if a ceasefire deal is not reached.

In a more serious tone, Trump also admitted his own doubts about whether he could stop Russia’s actions against civilians. He thought back on his past talks with Putin, saying, “I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him. Then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home, or a rocket hit an apartment building, and people are laying dead in the streets. So, I guess the answer to that is no, because I’ve had this conversation.”