The expected meeting on Sunday in Florida between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unlikely to lead to any major, fundamental decisions, predicted Maris Andjans, director of the Latvian Center for Geopolitical Studies, to LETA.
The director of the center calculated that Zelensky will become one of the most frequently meeting foreign leaders with Trump, as he has already been to Washington in October, August, and February, and the presidents of the two countries have met in New York, the Vatican, and at the NATO summit in The Hague.
"There have been many meetings, and each time the expectations were high," noted Andjans, recalling the meeting in October, after which there was great disappointment, as an unfair peace was being imposed on Zelensky and there was no announcement of new arms supplies to Ukraine.
He also pointed out that Russia has just carried out large-scale strikes on Ukraine, including Kyiv, which shows that "actions speak louder than words." In other words, Russia is dissatisfied with the 20-point plan developed in the last round of negotiations between the US and Ukraine to end Russia's aggressive war.
Andjans also noted that Trump, in an interview with Politico, cautiously commented on the 20-point plan, stating that it does not take effect until it is approved by him. "For now, it looks more like a draft plan, which Zelensky still needs to convince Trump about," said Andjans, adding that, in his opinion, it is unacceptable to Russia anyway: it will want more, and Ukraine's concessions will be insufficient from Russia's perspective.
"For Trump, it is important that both sides — Russia and Ukraine — agree, and it is obvious that it is easier for him to 'squeeze' something out of Zelensky than from Russia," Andjans is convinced.
According to Andjans, during the meeting between Zelensky and Trump, an agreement on demilitarization and the creation of a free economic zone in Donbas may be reached, but Russia will not agree to this. The issue of monitoring the implementation of such agreements will also be relevant.
An agreement on the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant may be reached during the meeting, but Russia is likely to disagree with this as well. "Trump will also not want to agree if he sees that Putin is not ready to accept it, so it is possible that at the meeting, Zelensky will again be pressured to accept something new — further concessions," assessed Andjans.
As reported, Trump will meet with Zelensky on Sunday in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, the White House announced.
The bilateral meeting is scheduled for 3:00 PM (10:00 PM Latvian time), and its purpose is to continue discussions on efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
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