Volodymyr Zelensky said in a new interview that he believes Vladimir Putin will significantly « benefit » from his meeting with Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a new interview Tuesday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will benefit from his upcoming summit with President Donald Trump in three key ways.Why It Matters
Trump and Putin are slated to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss bringing an end to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which Putin launched in February 2022. The White House said the Russian strongman reached out to request the meeting and that Zelensky has not been invited.
The Trump administration has also sought to temper expectations around the president’s meeting with Putin. Trump said in the past that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of being elected or shortly after being inaugurated.
Neither promise has come to fruition and the White House this week framed talks between Trump and Putin as a « listening exercise » and a « fact-finding » mission.What To Know
Zelensky was asked by NewsNation on Tuesday what he believes Putin will take away from his meeting with Trump.
The Ukrainian leader didn’t mince words, telling the outlet, « I believe that Putin will benefit from this, because what he is seeking, frankly, is photographs. He needs a photo from a meeting with President Trump. »
Zelensky continued: « First, he will be meeting on U.S. soil, which I believe is his personal victory. Second, he is coming out of isolation because he is meeting on U.S. soil. Third, with this meeting, he has somehow postponed the sanctions policy. President Trump has serious sanctions, and we are very much looking forward to these sanctions. »
« We will see what happens next », he added.
Indeed, the Trump administration’s decision to allow Putin into the country is striking, given that the Russian leader has been accused of war crimes against Ukraine by the International Criminal Court. That the meeting will take place in Alaska—which Russia sold to the U.S. for a little over $7 million in 1867—adds another layer of significance.
