President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking America for “everything” it could possibly give him in order to guarantee not only a peace agreement in the near future, but long-term security as well. President Trump, who was much friendlier to Mr. Zelensky in the Oval Office on Monday than he was on previous occasions, seemed open to all possibilities. 

Mr. Zelensky is meeting with Mr. Trump and their respective delegations in the Oval Office ahead of a broader meeting with European counterparts. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and Italy, the chancellor of Germany, the French and Finnish presidents, and president of the European Commission, as well as NATO’s secretary general, are all attending the White House summit. 

During a meeting between American and Ukrainian officials in the Oval Office on Monday, Mr. Zelensky was asked what kind of security guarantees he needed from the Americans in order to lay down his weapons and make peace with the Russians. 

“Everything,” he said with a smile. “It includes two parts: First, a strong Ukrainian army. … It’s a lot about weapons, and then people and training missions and intelligence, and second, we will discuss with our partners. It depends on big countries — the United States and all of our friends.”

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, embraced the Ukrainian president more than he had in the past. Earlier this year, he and Vice President JD Vance nearly came to blows with Mr. Zelensky during their sit-down in the Oval Office. 

On Monday, Mr. Trump refused to rule out American boots on the ground in Ukraine, and said he would offer “a lot of help” to secure Ukraine’s future. 

“We’re gonna work with Ukraine. We’re gonna work with everybody, and we’re gonna make sure that, if there’s peace, the peace is gonna stay long-term,” Mr. Trump said when asked about American soldiers in Ukraine. “We’re meeting with seven great leaders of great countries, also. … They’ll be involved.”

“When it comes to security, there’s gonna be a lot of help. It’s gonna be good,” the president told reporters. “We’re gonna help them out. … We’ll be involved.”

Despite his assertion ahead of his meeting with President Vladimir Putin last week that there would be “severe consequences” if a cease-fire was not agreed to, Mr. Trump now says he hopes to move straight to a trilateral peace negotiation with the Ukrainians and the Russians. 

“I don’t think you need a cease-fire,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I know that it might be good to have, but I can also understand strategically why one country or the other wouldn’t want it — you have a cease-fire and they rebuild and rebuild and rebuild.”

“I like the concept,” he said. “But we can work a deal where we’re working on a peace deal while they’re fighting.”

During their last Oval Office meeting, the most famous line uttered likely came from Mr. Vance, who demanded to know if Mr. Zelensky had ever said “thank you” to the American government for the more than $100 billion in aid he has received in the last three years. 

On Monday, Mr. Zelensky made clear that he was very thankful. 

“We have stability now to buy weapons from the United States. We are thankful for this program and this opportunity. We are thankful to Europe — they pay for this,” Mr. Zelensky told reporters.

The gathering was especially lighthearted when a reporter who attacked Mr. Zelensky during the last meeting for not wearing a suit told him he looked “fabulous” in his new outfit. 

“You look fabulous in that suit!” Real America Voice’s Brian Glenn — who is dating Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene — told the Ukrainian president. 

“Isn’t that nice? That’s the one that attacked you last time,” Mr. Trump said with a smile.

“I remember,” Mr. Zelensky said, grinning. “And you’re in the same suit,” the Ukrainian leader shot back, leading Mr. Trump to burst out laughing.