With Zelenskyy Sidelined From Ukraine War Talks, Trump Appears To Hand Putin A Diplomatic Win

Just erstwhile Ukraine and its European friends thought President Donald Trump was coming information to their position of nan war, he appeared to springiness a immense triumph to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

For Kyiv, this was Trump’s deadline to Putin: extremity nan fighting by Friday aliases look reliable caller economical sanctions. Instead, Trump has handed Moscow a negotiated coup by agreeing to meet Putin face-to-face in a matter of days, their first brushwood since nan penetration of Ukraine.

Trump had initially suggested that specified a acme would only spell up if Putin agreed to meet pinch Volodymyr Zelenskyy, thing nan Ukrainian president’s management has agelong called for but has been resisted by Russia. On Thursday, Trump dispelled nan idea that they would person to get together — raising nan specter of a bilateral speech that freezes retired Kyiv.

“The threat for Ukraine is really rather grave,” said Jonathan Eyal, world head astatine nan Royal United Services Institute, a London-based deliberation tank. “There will beryllium a consciousness of siren successful European capitals.”

For Eyal and others, Ukraine’s nightmare is now 1 measurement person to reality: “Trump will beryllium truthful pleased by what he perceives arsenic nan awesome accomplishment of getting Putin to nan negotiating table, that he grabs immoderate benignant of connection that is made,”, Eyal said. “The threat of half-baked compromise, which Trump tin declare arsenic his main achievement, is very high.”

That discuss could beryllium a impermanent ceasefire that would let Russia to restock its service and springiness its system a break from world sanctions, according to Hope for Ukraine, a nonprofit statement based successful Roseland, New Jersey.

Even if location is nary truce agreement, “a gathering pinch Trump — nary matter nan result — would beryllium a large negotiated triumph for Putin,” Gabriella Ramirez, Hope for Ukraine’s executive assistant, said successful an email. “Putin wants to break his negotiated isolation” and specified a gathering “will changeable his ego.”

The “meeting pinch Putin is simply a trap; President Trump must not autumn for it,” Ramirez added.

Ukraine now finds itself successful a bind.

“Zelenskyy cannot look to beryllium torpedoing what is simply a Trump initiative,” Eyal said. After his catastrophic fallout pinch Trump successful nan White House successful February, Zelenskyy has “just managed to repair his narration pinch Trump complete nan past 2 months successful a very gingerly fashion, and it would beryllium nan worst imaginable point for him to look now to beryllium pooh-poohing this summit.”

Many Ukrainians were already skeptical. Before nan acme was moreover announced, Artem Bidenko, a governmental intelligence and erstwhile lawman curate successful Ukraine’s government, predicted that Putin “will astir apt connection immoderate benignant of bone” to Trump, who “will opportunity that ‘you see, I’m doing well, I’m already achieving peace, and group will extremity dying,’” Bidenko said.

The White House did not instantly respond to NBC News’ petition for remark connected these criticisms.

Others successful Kyiv person much religion successful nan American leader.

“Trump seems to beryllium irritated capable by nan Russians’ actions to situation to onslaught really beardown blows astatine Russia,” said Danylo Vereitin, 31, a sports journalist based successful Kyiv, nan Ukrainian capital. “People pinch this type of mentality really don’t for illustration to look anemic aliases vulnerable.”

During nan statesmanlike run past year, Trump said it would return him conscionable 24 hours to lick nan conflict, later updated that to six months and past seemingly forgot astir it. Previous lukewarm words astir Putin person precocious turned stern, and Trump appeared to beryllium losing patience pinch Russia’s “disgusting” and “disgraceful” nightly rocket attacks connected Ukrainian civilians while nan White House was attempting to agent bid talks.

This culminated successful Trump’s deadline, first group astatine 50 days connected July 14, past shortened to 10 days connected July 29, for Putin to work together a ceasefire aliases face tariffs against importers of Russian lipid and state products for illustration China, India, Brazil and Turkey.

Asked whether this deadline was still active, Trump told reporters Thursday, “It’s going to beryllium up to him” — meaning Putin — “and we’re going to spot what he has to say,” adding that he was “very disappointed” astatine nan situation.

A elder White House charismatic told NBC News Friday that nan Russians person provided a database of demands for a imaginable ceasefire, and nan U.S. is now trying to get buy-in from nan Ukrainians and European allies.

But Trump's ultimatums person not prompted nan Kremlin to move 1 inch connected its warfare successful Ukraine truthful far, different than to springiness Trump a meeting.

“Nothing has changed since, frankly, December 2021, erstwhile Putin offered his ultimatum and said, ‘Give maine what I want aliases other Ukraine gets it,” said James Nixey, a U.K.-based advisor specializing connected Russia.

“Trump has done everything to unit Russia, short of really doing thing to unit Russia,” he added. “He’s made each sorts of pronouncements, threats and Truth Social posts, but not really undertaken immoderate circumstantial enactment which harms Russia.”

In 2021, Russia’s eight-point draught pact looks overmuch nan aforesaid arsenic coming : a prohibition connected Ukraine ever joining NATO and a withdrawal of NATO forces connected Russia’s eastbound flank. Today, Russia has simply added nan further request of moreover much Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine has rejected nan thought of a ceasefire that would person Russia support power complete Ukrainian territory successful its control, and insisted that immoderate statement must see “security guarantees” from its friends truthful that Moscow is not capable to motorboat early aggression.

“Putin wants Ukraine, Ukraine wants to exist, Trump wants an extremity to nan warfare and to beryllium capable to woody pinch Russia,” Nixey said. “All of nan awesome players person different agendas and nary of them are aligned connected anything.”