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.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that he believes President Donald Trump is prepared to “crush” Russia’s economy with a new wave of sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming weeks.

Russia is refusing to commit to a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which President Trump has encouraged as a next step toward ending the war between their two countries.

President Trump had suggested a meeting between Russia and Ukraine’s leaders could be a potential next step on the path to peace. Russian state news media barely mentioned the idea.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked First Lady Melania Trump for writing a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which she advocated for the safety of children impacted by war. NBC News’ Monica Alba details how the first lady is influencing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European leaders met at the White House on Monday afternoon to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine.

Another major talking point is on security guarantees. Trump says security guarantees for Ukraine would be "provided" by European countries with "coordination" by the US. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told the BBC that the UK negotiators will shortly be arriving in Washington for further planning on this.

As Trump and the leaders of European countries finished their family photo, the group was preparing to begin the summit in earnest.