US President Donald Trump has ditched his call for a ceasefire in Ukraine, backing instead Russian President Vladimir Putin’s push for a permanent peace agreement. That has not stopped some European leaders from pushing for a temporary truce first, even though the US president has seemingly decided one is not necessary.

Trump sounded positive on Monday as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House, just two days after his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska. "I think President Putin will make peace. I think President Zelensky will make peace. We'll see if they can get along," Trump said.