Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a meeting with French leader Emmanuel Macron and White House chief-elect Donald Trump. According to the Ukrainian leader’s press secretary Serhii Nykyforov, the talks lasted 35 minutes. However, the BFMTV television channel reported that the meeting ended 20 minutes after it began without a final statement.
Trump didn’t want to meet Zelensky in Paris
The Ukrainian president said that the meeting with his French and US counterparts was “good” and “productive.” The Ukrainian leader also said that the sides discussed the situation on the battlefield and the conditions of a “just peace for Ukraine.”
Trump did not want to hold a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, but he was persuaded to do so by French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the American portal Axios, citing sources.
“In recent days, Macron has been working to convince Trump… to hold a joint meeting with Zelensky… One of the sources said that at first Trump did not want to hold the meeting, but eventually agreed,” the publication reported.
The US President-elect behaved “indifferently” towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the meeting in Paris, The New York Post noted.
“Trump and Zelensky sat, the former was impassive when Macron put his hand on the Ukrainian leader’s arm,” the newspaper wrote.
It seemed to the authors of the article that the French leader looked at Zelensky reassuringly.
Zelensky “felt uncomfortable” in Trump’s company
Journalists assume that Zelensky “felt uncomfortable” in the company of Trump and Macron. The material says that this became noticeable during a joint photo shoot of politicians.
The head of the office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak urged the Trump team to help the country to retake the territories to the borders of 2022. However, according to the media, the idea did not find understanding.
During the meeting with Trump’s representatives, Yermak reported on the situation on the battlefield. The US representatives had more detailed data on the situation in the zone of the special military operation, because of which “the American side was not quite satisfied” with what they heard.
Also, the head of Zelensky’s office raised the issue of Ukraine’s accession to NATO, but the team of the President-elect of the US reacted to the idea “very cool, very negatively.” In addition, the entourage of the new head of the White House opposed the involvement of mediators in the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, believing that Trump will be able to achieve a ceasefire on his own.
According to The New York Times, after Zelensky’s meeting with Trump at the Elysee Palace, it became clear that Ukraine is ready to make concessions during peace talks with Russia. It is noted that the meeting between the leader of Ukraine and the future head of the United States almost coincided with a significant change in the public position of Kyiv on peace talks with Moscow.
Why Trump hates the Ukrainian president
The Turkish newspaper DikGAZETE reported that Donald Trump may not consider Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky as his partner during the negotiations on Ukraine because of his close ties to the family of current US President Joe Biden.
The author of the article noted that Trump will never forgive the Bidens for their actions. He suggested that in the context of the Ukrainian issue, Trump will definitely take into account the fact of financial support provided to biological laboratories and will remind Zelensky about his dubious co-operation with Hunter Biden.
A trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron took place before the opening ceremony of the Notre-Dame de Paris after restoration, which was attended by leaders from around the world. The presidents of France, the US and Ukraine chatted for less than half an hour before heading to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris separately.
