Europe doubts Trump-Zelenskyy meeting will deliver breakthrough, Bloomberg says
Photo: US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump are expected to hold talks on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
European allies acknowledge that Ukraine has strengthened its negotiating position through the rapid expansion of its drone industry and the battlefield experience it has gained. At the same time, they remain cautious about the prospects for the meeting.
According to two people familiar with the matter, the Trump-Zelenskyy talks are expected to take place in a positive atmosphere. However, given the US President's unpredictability, there is little confidence that the meeting will produce concrete decisions.
European officials also do not expect Trump to significantly increase pressure on Russia after the talks, whether through new sanctions or by resuming US weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
On July 8, Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara. One of the key topics on the agenda is expected to be the supply of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.
CNN previously reported that Trump traveled to the summit with little enthusiasm, reflecting his long-standing skepticism about US commitments to Europe's defense and his frustration with the allies.
On the eve of the summit, however, Trump said he believed Ukraine and Russia wanted to reach an agreement to end the war. He also said he could not bear to watch the consequences of the fighting in Ukraine and described the conflict as a drone war.
