Kyiv
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After the chaotic, oval office press event between President Donald Trump and Volodymia Zelensky, I thought I had heard a collective sigh of relief elevated above the Kiev Skyline.
“There’s some good news. They didn’t fight,” said Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zelezhnyak’s response to X.
A head-on collision along the lines of the February oval office scream match was avoided.
“I was hoping for something worse,” another MP, Oleksandr Merezhko, told CNN. “The tone has changed. Trump wasn’t negative. The impression is that the president has become accustomed to each other.”
“I was very impressed with the support of our European partners. They all came together quickly. Some people stopped their holidays,” said Marian Zabrotsky, another member of Congress and vice-president of Congress’s US Ukraine Group.
All this contrasts with the dark mood in the aftermath of the Alaska Summit.
After witnessing the red carpet rolled out for Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday. Jet flyover; Many Ukrainians who are on the ride to the president’s limousine were afraid that the US president’s bromance with the wily old KGB agent would have rekindled.
Plus, in addition to Trump’s true social post early Monday morning, he insisted that Zelensky “can close or continue fighting the war with Russia almost immediately if he wishes,” but soon after blowing up so-called “fake media” coverage of his Ukrainian peace efforts, the American leaders appeared to have been in the atmosphere of Aoarance before the meeting.
But a dark cloud of fear suddenly faded as Trump emerged from the White House and greeted Zelensky with a wide smile and a heartfelt handshake. In a rather chaotic encounter with journalists in the oval office, both Trump and Zelensky avoided stepping into rhetorical land mines. Everything was good.
This US administration has spoken in large numbers that the optics of such events are receiving a lot of attention.
But as far as substance is concerned, there are more questions than the answer.
“When the situation on the frontline is changing, how can we negotiate peace without a ceasefire, without a ceasefire?” asked Merezhko. “It’s difficult to negotiate when things are changing.”
On Thursday night, Russia launched more than 140 drones and three ballistic missiles in Ukraine. He killed at least 10 people, including an 18-month-old baby and a 15-year-old boy.
The peace agreement still appears to be very far from Kiev.
Earlier on Monday, CNN attended the funeral of popular David Chichkan, who turned popular Kyiv artist.
Hundreds of friends, relatives, worshippers and fellow soldiers took their knees. The mourners hugged each other and cried quietly.
So we only heard frustration and res about the American administration, which is deemed whim and unreliable.
“After thousands of people died in this war, we feel like we’re now sold out,” said Olexandra Grigorenko of Morner. Like many here, she is being repulsed by the suggestion that the cost of peace with Russia could be the loss of a large chunk of Ukrainian land.
Seeing the events at the White House, frontline veteran Maria Berlinzuka said, “Essentially, we are offered temporary peace at the expense of profits. Give up your land, hand it to Russia to millions of people in the occupied territory, and perhaps you will rest for a long time.”
The next step is the summit involving Trump, Putin and Zelensky. It was a surprise that it could probably happen by Friday. Previous attempts to lead Putin to the table have failed. Zelensky says he’s ready to meet. Will that happen too?
And hovering over the entire Trump-led diplomatic push to end the war is a concern that a quiet American president will change his mind once again.
Journalist Christina Berdynskiv said: “I have predictions. Everything will be great in the White House. Between Zelensky and Trump. Between Trump and Europeans. Between Zelensky, Trump and Europeans.
