Donald Trump abruptly changes position on ceasefire, Volodymyr Zelensky seeks explanations: The New York Times
Donald Trump, after negotiations with Vladimir Putin, unexpectedly announced that from now on he is in favor of concluding a direct peace agreement without first reaching an agreement on a ceasefire in Ukraine. As emphasizes The New York Times, such rhetoric is in stark contrast to his position, which he voiced on the eve of the summit in Anchorage, Alaska. At the beginning of this week, Trump openly supported the demand of Kyiv and European partners, according to which any peace talks should begin only after guarantees of the cessation of hostilities.
The change in approach caused misunderstanding in Kyiv. According to The New York Times, citing a high-ranking official who was informed about the details of Zelenskyi’s conversation with Trump, the Ukrainian president plans to visit the United States to personally receive from the head of the White House an explanation of the reasons for such a sharp rejection of previous demands. The article notes that there is confusion among Zelenskyi’s entourage: the Ukrainian side does not understand why the US president has abandoned his own statements, which sounded quite clear just a few days ago.
At the same time, Zelensky himself acted as cautiously as possible in his public comments. According to the authors of the article, he tried to avoid direct opposition to the American ally, choosing balanced wording. The President of Ukraine agreed with Trump that the peace should be real and lasting, and not turn into another short pause between Russian attacks.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader clearly emphasized that the immediate cessation of violence remains the first priority for him.
“The killing must stop as soon as possible, and the fire must stop on the battlefield, in the air, and on our infrastructure.” Zelensky emphasized.
This quote, notes The New York Times, is a clear hint that Kyiv is focusing on the cease-fire agreement, which it views as a basic prerequisite for any peace talks.
Similar attitudes can be traced in Europe. Official representatives of the European Union, after the summit in Alaska, avoid direct statements about the need for a ceasefire in order not to enter into an open confrontation with Trump, as the newspaper notes. However, behind the scenes, the lack of such an agreement was the main reason why the European capitals considered the meeting between Trump and Putin as fruitless.
