GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

Leaders from across Europe descended# on Washington today in a remarkable## show of support for Ukrainian# President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,## who came to the White House to meet President# Trump.

The hastily arranged summit followed## Friday's Anchorage meeting between Mr.# Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Today's gathering lacked the red carpet treatment# Trump gave Putin, an indicted war criminal,## but had the same goal, to end 3.5 years# of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Nick Schifrin starts our# coverage from the White House.

NICK SCHIFRIN: At the White House today, a# literate war survived what his aides worried## was a diplomatic minefield and received promises# from President Trump of long-term U.S. support.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the# United States: We're going to be## discussing it today, but.. good protection, very good security.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In a deal outlined today,## Ukraine's ability to guarantee its security will# rely on European troops sent into Ukraine, as well## as European weapons and Europe's purchasing# American weapons to be dispatched to Ukraine.

And, today, President Trump declined on three# occasions to rule out sending U.S. troops.

QUESTION: Are you going to be willing to# send American peacekeepers to Ukraine?

DONALD TRUMP: Well, we're going to work with# Ukraine.

We're going to work with everybody## and we're going to make sure that, if there's# peace, the peace is going to stay long-term.

QUESTION: Could that involve U.S. troops?# Would you rule that out in the future?

DONALD TRUMP: We will let you# know that maybe later today.

QUESTION: What kind of security guarantees# do you need from President Trump to be able## to make a deal?

Is it American troops,# intelligence, equipment?

What is it?

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, Ukrainian President:# Everything.

It's a lot about weapons and## people and training issues and intelligence.# And, second, we will discuss with our partners.## It depends on the big countries, on the# United States, on a lot of our friends.

DONALD TRUMP: We're really# honored you guys came over.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr# Zelenskyy got by with .. those friends today, the largest ever gathering# of Europeans in Washington outside a NATO summit.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte: MARK RUTTE, NATO Secretary-General: And the fact# that you have said I'm willing to participate in## the security guarantees is a big step.

It's really# a breakthrough and it makes all the difference.

NICK SCHIFRIN: And those guarantees describe## today as similar to NATO's core# principle of collective defense.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: GIORGIA MELONI, Italian Prime Minister: I'm happy# that we will begin from a proposal, which is the,## let's say, Article 5 model.

It's something# we have to build together to guarantee peace.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But German Chancellor Friedrich# Merz said it was a pressing principle.

FRIEDRICH MERZ, German Chancellor: I can't# imagine that the next meeting would take## place without a cease-fire.

So let's work on# that.

And let's try to put pressure on Russia,## because the credibility of these# efforts we are undertaking today## are depending on at least a cease-fire from# the beginning of the serious negotiations.

NICK SCHIFRIN: President Trump suggested# that proposal was already rejected by Putin.

DONALD TRUMP: If we can do the cease-fire,# great.

And if we don't do a cease-fire,## because many other points were given to us,# many, many points were given to us, great points.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But part of any deal is expected# to include a redrawn map, as President Trump## discussed with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.# Russia demands Ukraine withdraw entirely from## Donetsk, even though Ukraine still controls part# of the province.

That would give Russia full## control of the Donbass, Ukraine's industrial# engine, and a key to the country's defense.

Russia is then willing to negotiate in# neighboring Zaporizhzhia and Kherson,## based on the location of the front line.# It's also willing to give back Ukrainian## territory it occupies to the north in Kharkiv# and Sumy.

But Russian troops and Russian-backed## separatists have been fighting to conquer the# Donbass for 11 years.

The Kremlin's demand to## be given territory that its soldiers have failed# to seize is impossible, Zelenskyy said yesterday.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Russia is still# unsuccessful in the Donetsk region.## Putin has been unable to take it for 12# years.

And the Constitution of Ukraine## makes it impossible, impossible to# give up territory or trade land.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Before the White House meetings,## the Europeans coordinated to present a united# front.

Zel.. pressure," including increased sanctions on# Russia.

But the U.S. will not impose more## sanctions during negotiations, Secretary# of State Marco Rubio said this weekend.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. Secretary of State:# The minute you levy new sanctions,## those talks probably stop for the foreseeable# future.

And that means the war continues for## the foreseeable future.

I hope that doesn't# happen.

We may very well wind up there,## but we're going to try to do everything to prevent# it because we want to reach a peace agreement.

QUESTION: Will you commit to# not killing any more civilians?

NICK SCHIFRIN: But some U.S. officials# believe, even if Putin were given a new map,## he would refuse to make peace.

In the# past, he's demanded Ukraine cap the## size of its military and its Western support,# and even demanded the U.S. reduce its troops## in NATO's Eastern flank, as he alluded# to during Friday's Anchorage summit.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President# (through translator): We're convinced,## in order to make the settlement# extr.. we need to eliminate all the primary# roots, the primary causes of that conflict.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Of course, the European# officials who are still meeting with## President Trump in the White# House behind me believe that## the root cause of the war is Vladimir# Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Tonight, Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy# aide has confirmed that President Trump called## Vladimir Putin in a call that was described# as -- quote -- "frank and constructive.

"## A senior Ukrainian official participating in# the meetings tonight tells me that the Oval## Office meeting was -- quote -- "very good"# and the whole day has gone -- quote -- "more## than good," indicating, Geoff,# that at least the Ukrainians,## or from their perspective, they have# achieved what they sought to achieve today.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Nick, what more# do we know about what that means?

NICK SCHIFRIN: We really don't# have many details, Geoff.

As I reported at the top of the piece, Ukrainian# officials were worried about how today would go,## and so their expectations were low.

But# they had European unity on their side,## including many European leaders whom# President Trump has grown quite fond of,## and they had momentum already on# a key point, security guarantees.

Already, President Trump's aides were# out describing the security guarantees## that the U.S. could participate in# as NATO-like, as Article 5-like,## the idea of NATO's collective defense.

And# today was the first time that President Trump## publicly endorsed the idea of a long-term U.S.# presence or a long-term U.S. security support## for Ukraine, and he didn't rule# out U.S. troops being part of that.

Europeans will commit troops for sure,# as well as a large amount of money to buy## American weapons for Ukraine.

But how# far President Trump is willing to go,## Geoff, that will determine how sweet# or sour this deal is for Zelenskyy.## U.S. officials tell me that Zelenskyy# wasn't expected to say yes tonight,## but they expected him not to say no, and to go# back to Kyiv and perhaps present a counteroffer.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Nick, what more can you## tell us about President Trump's call to# Putin today?

What did they talk .. NICK SCHIFRIN: According to Russian# media, just out in the last few minutes,## they did discuss that trilateral# meeting that President Trump has## promised and that President Zelenskyy, you# heard in the White House today, endorse.

And his aides, President Trump's aides,# really strongly object to the idea that## the Friday summit in Anchorage was some kind# of win for President Putin.

They argue that## that summit moved the ball along, allowed# this meeting today, allowed the phone call## between President Trump and President Putin# tonight, and that at that summit Putin agreed## that these security guarantees could be# offered by the United States to Ukraine.

But, of course, there are still sticking points,# Geoff.

You heard Friedrich Merz raise the idea## of a cease-fire before the next meeting.

That# is not something that President Trump endorsed.## And Europe wants to keep pressure on Russia, and,# as you heard Rubio and others, senior officials,## saying they will not impose more sanctions# while these negotiations continue -- Geoff.

GEOFF BENNETT: Nick Schifrin at# the White House for us tonight.

Nick, thank you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.