President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this afternoon, following Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last Friday, which failed to net a ceasefire between the conflicting nations.
During Trump's meeting with Putin, Putin remained firm on his demands for Ukraine in negotiating peace.
"Putin wishes to continue the war until there is a comprehensive agreement in which all his demands are met. Ukraine will not become a member of NATO, Demilitarization, ceding of the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and essentially domestic Russian political control of Ukraine through 'denazification,'" said Alexander Barder, professor of politics and international relations at Florida International University. "This means that he believes that the momentum on the ground favors Russia and makes him less flexible in making any concessions during the negotiation."
Sunday night, Trump took to Truth Social, urging Zelenskyy to take steps to end the war.
"President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," Trump wrote. "Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change."
Seemingly in response, Zelenskyy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, yesterday and wrote, "....Peace must be lasting. Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea...."
Observers noted Zelenskyy’s absence from last week’s Alaska meeting after Putin rejected Trump’s call for a three-way discussion. Despite Trump's wishes for trilateral negotiations, Putin nixed the idea. Barder remarked on the message not involving Ukraine in that discussion sends.
"The message could be that the US and Russia will decide the parameters of a settlement to the conflict and that Ukraine will be forced to abide by it. It sends the message that “great powers” ultimately decide the fate of smaller powers, much like the international order of the 19th century. This is precisely what the Russian government wishes," he said.
Ahead of today's meeting, Trump made it clear his position is that Zelenskyy should meet some of Russia's demands, including agreeing to never join NATO and to cede territory of Ukraine currently under Russian control.
"We know what the Russians are demanding because they have not changed it since 2022. So if the Ukrainians refuse to concede then the war continues, and the key question then is: what is the Trump administration’s policy then? Does it pullback? Does it continue to assist Ukraine? What about the Europeans? Can they make up the lack of US assistance in time to make a difference on the battlefield," Barder said.
During today's meeting, President Trump made it clear he is now looking for a long-term peace solution, not just a temporary ceasefire. The pivot in strategy, Trump says, is due to the progress he made with Putin in Alaska.
Trump also expressed his continued desire to have a three-way meeting with both Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war and stop the killing. Trump said he will be making a phone call to Putin after his meetings with the Ukrainian president conclude.
Zelenskyy's meeting with the president today was a stark contrast to the last time he visited the White House, where the president and Vice President JD Vance heavily criticized him for a perceived lack of thankfulness of the U.S.'s support during the war.