Trump calls Zelenskyy to Washington to present Putin’s plan — political analyst
The meeting in Alaska was meant for U.S. President Donald Trump to relay to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the conditions set by Russia's Vladimir Putin for ending the war, which have remained virtually unchanged
This was stated on Espreso TV by Ukrainian political analyst and executive director of the Institute for the Transformation of Northern Eurasia, Volodymyr Horbach.
"What happened in Alaska is a conceptual agreement between Trump and Putin on how, first, to restore a full-fledged strategic partnership between the United States and the Russian Federation, and second, a tactical move to exit Russia's war against Ukraine and dictate the conditions going forward," he said.
Horbach believes that Trump is not hiding this either.
"He is summoning Zelenskyy to Washington on Monday to relay Putin's plan to him, which he will have to either accept or reject. Here, Trump is giving us, so to speak, very little room for maneuver. Because if we refuse, he will shift the responsibility for any failed agreements onto us," the political scientist added.
In his view, the Alaska meeting was needed for Trump to convey Putin’s largely unchanged conditions for ending the war to Zelenskyy.
“That is, Putin has not conceded in any way. All concessions would have to come at Ukraine's expense, according to Donald Trump,” Horbach concluded.
Trump and Putin’s meeting in Alaska: background
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on the night of August 16 in a “3 on 3” format. The meeting lasted nearly three hours, marking their longest conversation to date. According to Trump, the summit was “productive,” and many issues were discussed, though not all of them were fully agreed upon, so there is no agreement yet.
The U.S. president said he would soon call NATO representatives, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other leaders. He also noted that an agreement was nearly reached during the Alaska summit, and now a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin is planned with Trump’s participation.
On the morning of August 16, Trump spoke by phone with Zelenskyy, joined by several European leaders. During the conversation, Zelenskyy accepted Trump’s invitation to visit Washington on Monday, August 18.
Trump said that after his talks with Putin in Alaska, and following discussions with Zelenskyy and EU leaders, the parties concluded that the best way to end the war is to immediately conclude a peace agreement, skipping a temporary ceasefire.
Following the Alaska meeting, the leaders of Germany, France, Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom, together with Zelenskyy, prepared a joint statement.
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