A follow-up meeting at the White House between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday was a positive symbol of efforts to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The meeting, which was also attended by European leaders, saw an agreement successfully reached to strengthen security cooperation, including a plan to buy $90 billion in weapons by Ukraine.
The agreement is expected to be signed within 10 days as a guarantee of Washington's long-term support for Kiev.
Trump in the meeting stressed his commitment to move forward with immediate peace talks with Russia and quickly contacted President Vladimir Putin immediately after the meeting ended to arrange a further closed-door meeting between Putin and Zelensky, before a trilateral summit with him.
Interestingly, Trump, who had previously been vocal in demanding a ceasefire as a condition for negotiations, changed his stance, saying that talks could continue even if the fighting is still ongoing.
The change in attitude is seen as opening up more space for diplomacy, but has caused anxiety among European leaders who fear the conflict will drag on.
Germany, through Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has insisted that no peace process can begin without a ceasefire, while Russia has welcomed the diplomatic efforts but still refuses to accept the idea of a temporary cessation of hostilities.
While differences of opinion remain, the Trump-Zelensky meeting is seen as the most significant step in months, showing that Washington is ready to be the main driver in charting a more concrete path to peace.
