Trump says he and Putin are close to a deal on Ukraine and Europe

President Donald Trump said Thursday he and Russia are close to a "big, beautiful agreement" covering Ukraine and "all of Europe," after meeting privately with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House while excluding Ukrainian representatives from the talks. Trump offered no specifics on the discussions, but the move is likely to alarm Kyiv and European allies, as Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia was present at the White House for a separate event but not included in the private meeting. Trump also said he raised civilian casualties on both sides, while his envoy Jared Kushner met separately with Ukrainian, NATO, and European officials in Brussels to discuss security guarantees. The announcement comes amid ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Trump has pressured Kyiv to halt, and follows a limited ceasefire brokered by first lady Melania Trump that enabled nearly 800 people to evacuate from the Russian-held town of Oleshky. Formal peace talks are scheduled next week in Abu Dhabi.