Trump has directed U.S. officials to help to facilitate a “lasting and durable peace” between Ukraine and Russia, with officials touting the “very, very strong” package presented for negotiations.
President Donald Trump has directed U.S. officials to help to facilitate a “lasting and durable peace” between Ukraine and Russia, with officials touting the “very, very strong” package presented for negotiations in Berlin over the weekend.
Fox News Digital participated in a briefing with U.S. officials Monday morning to discuss ongoing discussions in Berlin with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his team, and European security officials.
U.S. officials met with Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian delegation Sunday for nearly six hours, and spent more than two hours with them Monday.
Officials said Trump’s goal is to “stop the Russians from moving west.”
“President Trump’s very focused on reaching a conclusion to this conflict that really stops the Russians from from moving west”, one official said. “Under President Bush, Russia moved west. Under President Obama, Russia moved west. Under President Biden, Russia move west. President Trump really wants to see this as an agreement that ends that, for good.”
Officials also discussed the economic situation for Ukraine, noting that asset manager BlackRock has assembled a team, pro bono, to begin working on the matter, in coordination with the World Bank.
“We went extensively through all the different financial borders that Ukraine currently faces”, an official said. “What President Trump is trying to do is to save Ukraine as a country and make sure that they then have the ability to be, from a military perspective, security perspective, and then make sure that they can become viable.”
The official said the Europeans involved in discussions expressed “several times that they see Ukraine as critical for their security”, and that they “need Ukraine to be financially viable and strong in order for it to be a good partner.
