Ukrainians’ hopes that President Trump might conclusively swing behind their cause have once again been dashed.
On Friday, after a meeting with President Zelensky, Trump said he was looking forward to meeting President Putin and advocating a peace deal that would leave Russia in control of almost a fifth of Ukraine: “Stop at the battle line and both sides should go home, go to their families.”
One British diplomat said: “It’s a powerful reminder that while the Russians can often be crass and clumsy, they can also be unexpectedly nimble. This time, they outmanoeuvred Zelensky, there’s no point trying to pretend otherwise.”
