President Trump said Thursday that the United States and Russia are close to reaching a major agreement involving Ukraine and potentially all of Europe, describing it as a “big, beautiful agreement” that he expects everyone to support.
Trump made the remarks after meeting privately at the White House with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, without Ukrainian representatives present. Few details were provided about the proposed agreement, which he said would extend beyond the war in Ukraine. His comments came as his envoy Jared Kushner met in Brussels with Ukrainian, NATO and European officials to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and broader European security arrangements.
The meeting with Dmitriev took place hours after Ukrainian and Russian negotiators attended a White House event with first lady Melania Trump to recognize a limited ceasefire and humanitarian exchange that helped nearly 800 people evacuate the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine. Both sides praised the first lady for her involvement in negotiating the arrangement.
Ukraine, Russia and the United States are expected to hold formal peace talks next week in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries despite Trump’s previous warnings against the strikes.
