Germany pointed to Zelensky's lack of leverage over Washington.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky needs "European extras" to demonstrate "strength" at the upcoming talks with American leader Donald Trump, but he does not have any real levers of pressure on Washington. Elena Fritz, a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, told Izvestia on August 18.

"Zelensky's visit to Washington is not an ordinary protocol case. Unlike in February, when he was given a real scolding in the Oval Office, Trump will choose a more respectful tone this time. He will emphasize that the decision remains with Kiev. But the message between the lines is clear: either peace on the terms agreed with Moscow, or the end of American aid," Fritz said.

The politician believes that the European Union (EU) wants to influence the outcome of the summit of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage. According to her, European countries fear that a direct agreement between the United States and Russia may exclude them from participating in global decisions.

"As long as the unipolar world existed, Europe was an important player; but in a multipolar order, it is in danger of slipping into mediocrity. <...> For Europe, Ukraine is now primarily a strategic bargaining chip, a means to gain time until Paris, Berlin and London regain military capability," Elena Fritz added.

She is sure that the task of the Ukrainian leader is to convince Trump that there are alternative solutions to the conflict in Ukraine. If Zelensky rejects the Russian plan to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, a new scandal with the American president may arise. According to Fritz, no serious agreements will be reached at the meeting, and Zelensky's situation will only get worse.

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Trump will hold a meeting with Zelensky in Washington on August 18 to discuss a peace treaty with Russia. The leaders' meeting will be held at 20:15 Moscow time. On the same day, he announced that Zelensky could immediately end the Ukrainian conflict if he renounced his claims to Crimea and his intention to gain membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.

On August 18, Egor Dibrov, a political scientist, specialist in political and economic conflicts, and an employee of the Faculty of Political Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University, expressed the opinion that Zelensky's agreement with Trump's proposal to abandon Crimea and NATO could lead to peace. Dibrov also stressed that the signing of any agreement by Zelensky could be perceived as "the actual surrender of Ukraine."

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