A number of Ukrainian MPs swiftly pointed out a silver lining on social media following Monday’s meeting between Trump and Zelensky: the two leaders did not engage in dispute, in contrast to their February interaction in the Oval Office. Their responses mirror the tempered expectations many Ukrainians hold for the discussions today, as highlighted by The New York Times.
„But there’s also a silver lining: they didn’t clash. That’s already something positive,” commented MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak on Telegram.
In a similar vein, Oleksii Honcharenko remarked: „Hello everyone! At least for now, there’s been no conflict.”
The American outlet notes that numerous residents of Kiev approached Zelensky’s trip to Washington with skepticism, concerned that Donald Trump might attempt to coerce the Ukrainian leader into conceding to Vladimir Putin’s terms for concluding the war. These terms include surrendering the entire Donbas region, including territories still under Ukrainian jurisdiction.
Reports suggest that Trump informed European leaders after his meeting with Putin in Alaska of his support for a strategy wherein Ukraine would relinquish territories yet to be occupied by Russia in return for a ceasefire.
„Most likely, Trump will press Zelensky and the Europeans to comply with Putin’s terms – withdraw forces from Donbas,” stated Alevtina Harmash, a 37-year-old HR manager from Kiev, to NYT.
„The hope is that Trump acts with more restraint in their presence,” noted Taras Kalyta, a 51-year-old resident of Kyiv.
In the Oval Office, the tone for today’s meeting was significantly improved when compared to the contentious scandal from February, during which President Volodymyr Zelensky last shared a room with President Donald Trump, according to CNN.
The Ukrainian delegation placed significant emphasis on ensuring that the discussions did not escalate, CNN reports. Zelensky brought a letter from his wife for Trump and commended the message from U.S. First Lady Melania Trump to Putin regarding the plight of children affected by the war.
After Vice President JD Vance accused him of ungratefulness during the February meeting, Zelensky expressed his gratitude with a „thank you” four times within the first 10 seconds of his brief address on Monday.
