The White House announced on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Putin photo: Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters; Zelenskyy photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters)
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The announcement comes just one day after Zelenskyy and several European leaders gathered at the White House to debrief following Trump's high-stakes summit with Putin in Alaska. Leavitt highlighted European leaders' praise for Trump following the Alaska and D.C. summits.
"I think in the past two weeks, we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three-and-a-half years," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiment and acknowledged that for three-and-a-half years "nobody has been able to bring it to this point."
President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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During a joint press conference on Friday after their meeting, Putin confirmed something that Trump has insisted for nearly four years — Russia would not have invaded Ukraine had Trump not lost the 2020 election.
"I can confirm that," Putin said at the end of the presser.
This statement left many, including FOX News' Jacqui Heinrich, wondering what Trump planned to do to ensure Ukraine's security beyond 2028. Heinrich posed the question to Leavitt, who said that Trump "understands the need" for long-term security guarantees, citing his talks with European leaders and NATO following the Alaska summit.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-announces-putin-agreed-bilateral-meeting-zelenskyy