WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The White House is mapping out next steps to end the war in Ukraine after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders joined President Trump for high-stakes talks Monday.

President Trump is casting himself as the broker of peace between Ukraine and Russia but after Monday’s meeting at the White House questions remain.

President Trump says he’s confident he can strike a deal with Russia to end the fighting in Ukraine.

“I’m optimistic we can reach an agreement that would deter future aggression against Ukraine,” said Trump.

On Monday, Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders to the White House. The talks followed his face-to-face summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday.

“We’re all working for the same goal: very simple goal we want to stop the killing,” said Trump.

Ukraine and European allies are pushing for a deal that includes strong security guarantees to prevent another Russian invasion in the future.

“The security in Ukraine depends on the United States,” said Zelenskyy.

Although President Trump dropped his earlier demand for an immediate ceasefire, Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, says it must remain part of any peace effort.

“I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire. So, let’s work on that, and let’s try to put pressure on Russia,” said Merz.

U.S. and European officials continue to insist that Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be respected.

Right now, Russia has taken about 20% of Ukraine’s land and that remains one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations.