WASHINGTON DC – A high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky has been met with a mix of cautious optimism and palpable tension from analysts in Washington.
Yuriy Boyechko, the chief executive of the US-based humanitarian organization Hope for Ukraine, told Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent that the meeting so far had yielded “no positives for Ukraine.”
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He pointed to Trump’s repeated statements about not knowing when the war will end and his need to call Russian President Vladimir Putin after the talks.
“Obviously Putin is in the driving seat right now,” Boyechko said.
However, another analyst offered a different perspective on the day’s events.
Doug Klain, a policy analyst for Razom, a US-based organization advocating for Ukrainian interests, told Kyiv Post that the meeting represented a “major improvement” over Zelensky’s last White House visit.
“It’s hard to overstate the anticipation and tension as we were heading into today’s White House summit,” Klain said. “Any way you cut it, this will be a historic day.”
Klain highlighted what he saw as positive diplomatic touches, such as Zelensky’s opening with a letter from Ukraine’s First Lady to the US First Lady, and his “middle ground compromise” on a military-style suit.
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He also noted that Trump appeared to enjoy Zelensky’s witty quip to a reporter and that Trump “tried not to put Zelensky on the spot.”
Despite these diplomatic flourishes, Klain acknowledged the lack of concrete detail.
“But there wasn’t much serious substance during this spray,” he said, referring to the public remarks.
“I’m waiting to see where we are after the leaders emerge from their group meeting – is a new European security order being worked out in the White House right now?”
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