European leaders

Here's where things stand as Trump, Zelensky and European leaders begin their high-stakes meeting on Ukraine

From CNN's Kevin Liptak, Kit Maher, Aditi Sangal, Caitlin Danaher and Mitchell McCluskey

US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several top European leaders are now meeting at the White House to discuss a possible end to the war in Ukraine.

One of the key topics on the agenda is security guarantees for Ukraine.

European leaders are also expected to push for Trump to join them in taking a hard line with Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid future conflicts.

Before they went behind closed doors, the leaders made remarks to the assembled media:

Trump: The US president said the leaders would discuss “who will do what” as part of security guarantees for Ukraine and signaled a resolution would be reached today. Trump also said “possible exchanges of territory” to end the war is up for discussion. Looking ahead, Trump said he would call Putin later today to set up a trilateral meeting between himself, the Russian leader and Zelensky.

Zelensky: Ukraine’s president said he had a “very good conversation” with Trump earlier in the day. They discussed security guarantees and humanitarian concerns, he said. The Ukrainian president also said he would be happy to have Trump at a trilateral meeting with him and Putin.

French President Emmanuel Macron: The leader of France pushed the idea that there should be a European leader present at a meeting with Putin. “When we speak about security guarantees, we speak about the whole security of the European continent,” he said.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: Trump offering US support in security guarantees for Ukraine was a “breakthrough” to securing peace, Rutte said. He also thanked Trump for “breaking the deadlock” and bringing Putin to the table.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: When Trump met with Putin in Alaska last week, it opened a path for more serious negotiations, the German leader said. Merz reiterated that the European leaders are eager to see a ceasefire before more talks are held — something Trump has questioned whether “it’s necessary.”

Finnish President Alexander Stubb: Finland’s leader praised progress Trump made in talks to resolve the war. He pointed to the symbolic nature of the leaders gathering to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: The “Coalition of the Willing” — Ukraine’s main European allies — are “prepared to step up to the plate” to ensure Ukraine’s security, he said.