Drama or show: how will Trump's meeting with Zelensky and European leaders go?

Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Zelensky and European leaders is a logical continuation of the US president's talks with Vladimir Putin over the weekend. Meanwhile, experts interviewed by Izvestia note that with the known breadth of Trump's possible maneuver, his counterpart actually has two strategy options, and both will not lead him to either political or reputational success.

Four options

As Mikhail Alkhimenkov, a leading RISI expert, explained to Izvestia, if Zelensky refuses to negotiate on these positions, Donald Trump will have four possible solutions.

— Firstly, since the United States continues to dominate the camp of Western countries, they have the opportunity to push through the position voiced and agreed with Putin. If this does not work out, then the second solution for the United States could be to transfer responsibility for the outcome of the conflict to Brussels and London and maintain relations with Russia," the expert explains.

At the same time, Alkhimenkov notes the complexity of the situation in which the American president finds himself.

— The difficulty lies in the fact that Trump, in the event of Zelensky's refusal, will need to technically "jump off the topic" of supporting Ukraine in order to prevent possible claims from part of his electorate.

According to the analyst, under such circumstances, Trump needs to take a lot into account in order not to lose the image of a peacemaker who is above the conflict, and at the same time leave the camp of losing Ukraine and Europe.

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According to Alkhimenkov, Trump is being pushed towards the third option by globalists. The point is that if it is not possible to reach an agreement, we need to return to the instruments of political pressure on Russia, which, at least for now, the White House has refused under the pretext of the need to continue a constructive dialogue.

"The globalists hoped that Trump would be on their side, but he managed to get out and did not let himself be caught,— Mikhail Alkhimenkov believes.

Finally, the fourth option is to constantly postpone the decision until Zelensky finally loses and representatives of the European political coalition come to terms and return to the negotiating table.

Waiting for the unexpected

In turn, Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, believes that the US leader is a negotiator capable of surprises.

— I am not completely sure that today he will definitely offer scandalously unacceptable conditions to Ukraine and the EU, which will lower the level of relations again. Although this option is still the most likely one," the expert explained.

According to him, there is a fundamental difference in Trump's perception of the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. If he really respects Putin and considers him an equal partner, then Zelensky is perceived more as a figure whom at other times he could invite to speak at his holidays.

However, according to Denisov, so far it can be stated that expectations from the upcoming meeting are clearly overstated, and the remarks of Trump and Zelensky, including on the most pressing issue, territorial, contradict each other.

— What can Trump do in this situation? To propose an option with territories that Ukraine will reject, and then name Zelensky, and at the same time the Europeans, as the culprits of the failed settlement. After that, the United States can withdraw from this conflict. This is one of the likely scenarios," the expert believes.

Believe what you promised?

Former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, member of the international public movement "The Other Ukraine" Volodymyr Oleynyk does not rule out a new scandalous situation similar to the one that occurred in the Oval Office on February 28.

— I do not rule out that the meeting will turn into another spanking, and there will be no dialogue. And I am sure that Trump will not repeat the previous mistake: this time, journalists will not be allowed into the Oval Office, the conversation will be face—to-face," Vladimir Oleinik is sure.

If Zelensky refuses to accept the terms of the agreement, which Trump has already announced, it is likely that the US president will shift responsibility for the conflict to European leaders.

If Zelensky accepts the conditions and actually retracts his words, it will be a big blow to his image in Ukraine and will certainly turn into internal problems.

— By the way, former US Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer also recently warned about this. Nationalist circles in Ukraine will not accept Zelensky's surrender, because then they themselves will lose power in the country," the expert emphasizes.

In his opinion, it is most likely that Zelensky will verbally agree, but will do his best to slow down and postpone the implementation of the agreements.

Speaking about the future of Zelensky himself, Volodymyr Oleynik emphasizes that the power of the current Ukrainian leader today rests only on the recognition of the West.

— In fact, he is a political corpse. During the future election campaign, the figures of losses in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will surely come up, and Zelensky will be asked about them. He has little chance of escaping from Ukraine, let alone winning the elections," the expert concluded.