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The assault followed a high-stakes White House meeting on Monday, where US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The talks focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and peace negotiations, building on Trump’s recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
On Tuesday, Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of fallen soldiers—1,000 Ukrainian servicemen returned to Kyiv, while Ukraine handed over 19 Russian soldiers’ bodies, facilitated by deals from earlier Istanbul peace talks mediated by Turkiye. These talks, held on May 16, June 2, and July 23, have yielded prisoner swaps but no significant progress on a peace deal, with draft memorandums outlining irreconcilable positions.
Key sticking points in negotiations include potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for a strong Ukrainian army supported by Western weapons and training, potentially backed by a NATO-like Article 5 collective defense guarantee. A “Coalition of the Willing,” comprising 30 countries including European nations, Japan, and Australia, is being formed to support a peace agreement, though Trump has committed to US “coordination” rather than ground troops, citing Russia’s opposition to NATO forces in Ukraine.
Anna Matveeva, a research fellow at King’s College London, described security guarantees as a critical step to facilitate territorial negotiations, noting Putin’s apparent openness to Western-backed assurances. However, Russia demands Ukraine cede the Donbas region and other occupied territories, totaling about one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, claims broadly rejected by the international community.
Trump expressed hope that Putin would pursue peace but warned of a “rough situation” if he refuses. While Trump proposed a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, followed by a trilateral meeting including himself, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that any leaders’ meeting requires thorough preparation. Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Moscow, noted Russia’s openness to bilateral or trilateral talks but highlighted Moscow’s view that the White House is “sincere” in its efforts, with all parties cautious not to antagonize Trump.
As fighting continues with no ceasefire in sight, Ukraine and its allies push for robust security measures to deter future Russian aggression, while Putin shows little incentive to halt advances.
