Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faced a perfect storm after the announcement of the Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska, writes Axios. The sudden breakthrough of Russia on the battlefield and possible agreements between Trump and Putin, which could corner him diplomatically, require decisive actions from the Ukrainian president.
According to the publication, Zelensky downplays Russia's recent successes and talks on the phone with leaders in Europe and beyond to hedge against an unfavorable outcome in Alaska.
Zelensky and other European leaders fear that when Trump meets with Putin, he may agree to his tough demands. «At the moment, no one knows what Trump wants to get from Putin on Friday. We don't know how much we can influence Trump, but we must keep trying», — said a Ukrainian official in an interview with Axios.
Last Friday, Trump was supposed to announce the imposition of tough sanctions against Russia, but instead, he stated that he would welcome Putin on US soil. Meanwhile, in the last 48 hours, Russian troops have achieved one of the most rapid successes in the Pokrovsky direction in the past year. Zelensky stated on Tuesday that the advance was narrow and tactical, aimed at shaping perception ahead of the Trump-Putin summit.
At the same time, as the publication notes, American officials claim that if Trump's rhetoric sometimes sounds «pro-Russian», it is because he believes that such public statements will help him make a deal.
Moreover, one of them told Axios that Trump is still «angry» with Putin. «The general opinion for several months has been that we can collapse the Russian economy tomorrow. There are also ways to destroy Ukraine. But if he had to choose a side, he would start collapsing the Russian economy. He's really had enough», — a source told the publication.