Trump Renews Push to End Mail-In Voting During Oval Office Meeting with Zelensky, Floats Talks with Putin

President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his opposition to mail-in ballots and voting machines, calling them “corrupt” and saying, “you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots.” He added, “as a Republican Party, we’re going to do everything possible to get rid of mail-in ballots.”

Trump made the remarks in the Oval Office while meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The White House framed the session as part of a broader push to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year. European leaders and NATO officials also met in Washington, emphasizing support for a “robust and long-standing peace.”

Trump said he called Russian President Vladimir Putin and has begun arranging a long-sought meeting between Putin and Zelensky. Caught on a hot mic speaking with France’s president, Trump suggested Putin “wants to make a deal.” Zelensky shared a battlefield map and pressed for any peace agreement to protect Ukraine’s territory and include guarantees against future Russian attacks.

Asked what security commitments might be required, Trump said Putin agreed to allow security guarantees and did not rule out U.S. participation alongside Europeans in a peacekeeping role: “When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help.”

European allies praised renewed diplomacy and urged a ceasefire, while the administration indicated negotiations toward a broader peace could continue even as fighting persists.

Reporting from Washington: NBC’s Alice Barr.