Trump announces "preparations" for a Putin-Zelensky meeting, China supports the initiative

"Following these meetings, I called President Putin and began preparations for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky," Trump wrote on his platform "Truth Social." He added, "At the conclusion of this meeting, we will hold a trilateral summit that will bring together the two presidents and myself." Trump described having a "good meeting" with Zelensky and European leaders, which later continued in the Oval Office. The meeting addressed the issue of "security guarantees for Ukraine, which would be provided by various European countries in coordination with the United States." Trump noted, "Everyone is very pleased with the possibility of achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine," considering it a "very positive first step in a war that has lasted nearly four years." He concluded that his Vice President, J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are "coordinating" with Russia and Ukraine regarding the next steps of this peace initiative launched by the White House. Earlier in the day, Trump stated that peace between Russia and Ukraine "is within reach," asserting that both parties are "willing" to negotiate a peace agreement. "Even though it is difficult, I believe peace is attainable," the U.S. President said at the start of the meeting with Zelensky and about ten European leaders in Washington, which took place three days after the historic summit in Alaska between Trump and his Russian counterpart. European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasized the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine alongside the peace efforts initiated by the U.S. President. China expressed its support for the ongoing peace discussions. On Tuesday, Beijing stated it "supports all efforts" towards peace following the meeting and the announcement of a potential summit between the Ukrainian president and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. "China has always been convinced that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable paths to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. We support all efforts for peace," said Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during a regular press briefing.