Washington: If the purpose of the European mission to the White House was to prevent Donald Trump tilting in favour of Russia’s Vladimir Putin after their Alaskan adventure, then it may broadly be considered a success, even if the tangible outcomes are difficult to discern.

The visitors were warmly welcomed, including Volodymyr Zelensky, whose last trip to the Oval Office ended catastrophically. This time, it ended with laughter and a strong handshake. The Ukrainian president called it the best of his meetings with Trump so far.

Donald Trump has flagged a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Vladimir Putin, followed by three-way talks he would join.Credit: Marija Ercegovac

Likewise, the Europeans showered Trump with gratitude for hosting them and expending his time and energy on trying to solve the war. They praised him for being the only person who could co-ordinate with Putin and get him to the negotiating table.

That is now what Trump intends to do. He has signalled a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, followed by three-way talks that he would join, which, according to Zelensky, is the sequencing Russia offered. Zelensky says he’s happy to do so. No date or location is set.

On the central question of how to protect Ukraine from a future invasion if a deal is reached, the........

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